


Ravaged World

by AquilaTempestas



Series: Mark of a Legend [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Novelisation of platinum, Redemption, Romance, Salvation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:28:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 61,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25494646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AquilaTempestas/pseuds/AquilaTempestas
Summary: The path to glory isn’t as easy as it seems as Dawn learns soon after commencing her journey to become Champion. She learns she is connected to the sinister plot to destroy the world, and believes she has found the one responsible, but there is more than what meets the eye.
Relationships: Hikari | Dawn & Jun | Barry
Series: Mark of a Legend [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1846867
Comments: 7
Kudos: 8





	1. Prologue

Cyrus didn’t know where he was going and nor did he care. His priority was to get as far away from Sunyshore as possible. Not once did he stop to reconsider – nothing could ever convince him to return to the place where his nightmares became a reality. The fighting, the screaming, the lectures, the beatings… It was all too much. 

He continued running until he could no longer run. Collapsing to the ground in a heap, he lay there gasping for breath, glancing up at the sky wondering if anyone was looking for him. The police were probably exploring his house now, trying to find what had caused the deaths of his parents, and asking around town for answers. No one knew. To the rest of the residents, his parents were seen as lovely people. His father was responsible for converting wind energy into electricity and his mother just a housewife. 

But it wasn’t enough. His father wanted more and this placed a strain on his relationship with his wife. The relationship worsened when Cyrus was born. His childhood years were spent locked indoors with his father, being forced to study and read rather than enjoy the outdoors with the other kids his age. He went to school for a few years until his father decided the school was useless. It was a life of isolation – if the man spotted Cyrus chatting with another kid, he’d be dragged home and punished. If he shed a tear, he’d be struck, punished for expressing what was considered weakness. His father could not tolerate failure and believed all emotions were weak. His mother tried to protect him by hiding him at her parent’s place, but her husband always found out. It ended when his mother decided to end the misery by poisoning her husband and herself.

Remaining in Sunyshore was no longer an option. 

It started to rain. Trembling, he picked himself up from the ground and wondered over to seek shelter under the trees. He was freezing now, but he wasn’t too concerned. Perhaps the elements would do him a favour and end his life. Dying was a far more attractive option than living. No more pain. No more suffering. No more nightmares. He’d have the peace he so desperately longed for. He sat underneath one of the trees and pressed his back against the bark, bringing his knees towards his chest. Perhaps a lightning bolt would strike down the tree and crush him if he was lucky.

The storm continued. Luck didn’t appear to be on his side today as no damage was caused. He was alive and he hated it. Why was it when someone wanted to die they had to live, and when someone wanted to live they died? The world was an unjust and cruel place. If the storm couldn’t kill him, he figured starvation would, so he chose to refrain from eating and drinking. He could hold off the hunger, but he couldn’t fight off the need to sleep. Closing his eyes, he rested his head against the tree and dozed off.

.

Cyrus awoke the next morning finding himself lying down on a bed in a building of some sort. It appeared to be a lab judging by the high-tech machinery around him. An image of his father’s computer lab flashed in his mind, and he was reminded of the punishments that had taken place. Heart pounding, he sat up and swung his legs over the side off the bed. He tried to escape, but lack of good food had weakened him. He fell on the floor. 

A young female with dark blue hair and warm blue eyes rushed over to his side. She lowered herself to the ground and reached out to grab him, but this only made him panic even more. Had he been caught? Where the heck was he and who was this strange girl that looked down on him with sympathy? 

“I’m not here to hurt you. We’re here to help,” she said, looking to her right, drawing his attention to the man standing nearby. The man held a piercing gaze and Cyrus was briefly reminded of his father. He cringed and looked away.

“At least he’s awake now,” the man said. Despite the intimidating gaze the man had, he was strangely softly spoken, not at all like his father. “Johanna, please bring him something to eat. By the looks of it, he hasn’t eaten anything in days.”

The blue-haired girl nodded and she hurried out of the room. Cyrus sat up, wincing at a sharp pain in his lower left ribcage. “Who are you?” he said, glancing up.

“My name is Professor Rowan. I’m a Pokemon researcher.” He knelt down, observing him closely. Cyrus pulled back, unsure. The man looked at him in a way Cyrus wasn’t familiar with. He did not look at him with disgust or hatred, but rather with genuine concern. “I found you in the nearby woods. What were you doing there in the middle of a storm?”

“Exploring,” he lied.

Professor Rowan’s eyebrows lifted. He didn’t appear to believe him, but he didn’t ask further questions. “You’re safe now. You have nothing to fear in this town. Tell me, what is your name and where are you from? You look as though you have travelled a long distance.”

Cyrus paused. How much information could he share with this man? Perhaps he was connected with his father in some way? It was a worrying thought. Still, the man had taken him in and given him a place to rest. If he knew him he would’ve said something. He decided to take a risk. “Cyrus. I’m from Sunyshore,” he said quietly.

“Sunyshore? My, that is a long way to have travelled.” Professor Rowan stood up then extended his hand. Cyrus looked at it. What was Professor Rowan doing? The last time he had accepted a hand, he ended up kissing the floor. “It’s all right.” This man didn’t seem like he was going to push him onto the ground so he cautiously accepted the gesture. Professor Rowan helped him up from the floor and Cyrus sat down on the bed.

Johanna returned with a bowl of soup and sat down next to him. He looked down at the soup and frowned, a little wary of the suspicious brown bits floating on the surface. 

Lifting his gaze, he faced the female and put on a smile. “It’s homemade soup. I made it myself.” He looked down at again. Not eating it would be rude, so he picked up the spoon, scooped some soup up then brought it to his mouth. It had a scent he couldn’t quite name.

Professor Rowan smiled. “Well, I have to get back to work so I will see you both later, all right? Take care of him, Johanna.” He winked then walked out leaving Cyrus alone with her. 

Being in such close proximity to another female other than his mother was oddly nerve-wracking. She seemed to notice and chuckled. “I’m not going to bite you, you know… Unless you want me to,” she said, with a wink. Cyrus looked at her blankly, not quite understanding if she was being serious or not. Johanna cleared her throat. “You should really that soup before it gets cold. It’s not as effective otherwise.” 

Oh right, the soup. He put the spoon in his mouth and quickly swallowed it, trying to taste as little as possible. Oddly enough, it didn’t taste as bad as it looked. It was a little bitter, but that was probably due to the unknown herbs in it. His stomach growled reminding him he hadn’t eaten in days. He took another bite and swallowed, feeling ravenous all of a sudden.

“You certainly must be hungry,” Johanna said, laughing again.

Her laughter sounded so foreign to him. Such a joyful emotion had been forbidden in his household. Actually, all emotions were considered useless so he had become quite proficient at the art of keeping a blank face. He had been maintaining the mask for so long now it had begun to stick. It gave off a cold uncaring vibe even though he didn’t feel that way inside. “Thank you,” he said.

“You don’t have to thank me. I’m only doing what is right.” He finished off the remains of the soup then placed the bowl on the bedside table. He tried to think of a way to start the conversation, but nothing came to mind. Starting conversations wasn’t exactly one of his strong points so he sat in silence, waiting for her to start one. “You must be a trainer to have made it this far. Pretty hard to get by without a pokémon."

He nodded. “I’ve got a Zubat. My mother gave it to me,” he said softly. He paused briefly then looked at her again. “Are you a trainer?”

She shook her head. “No, I’ve never been particularly interested in walking down that path. I thought about being a professor like my uncle at one point, but I’m more interested in fashion. What about you? Are you planning on taking the league challenge?”

“No, I’ve never been interested in that.” The truth was he was forbidden to take that path. His father wanted him to take over his business when he died and so he spent long hours trying to teach his son. Cyrus picked things up quickly, but his father was never impressed, always coming up new insults and degrading comments to use to ensure Cyrus felt useless. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”

“Fifteen. What about you?”

Her expression brightened. “Me too! You know, it’s nice to meet someone else the same age,” she said, lightly brushing her hand against his arm. “Most of the people here are old. Hey, when you feel better, I can take you to the lake! They say a legendary Pokemon lives at the bottom! It’s beautiful!”

“Sure, that sounds fine.” It was one of those moments he knew smiling was the appropriate expression to make, but he couldn’t make it happen. Johanna probably thought he was uninterested, just like all the other kids at his school thought. The quiet one. The shy one. The loser. The freak. He had been called many things and not one had been positive. Even his teacher, a woman called Carolina, had taken a disliking to him.

“You seem sad,” she said softly. “I know what will make you feel better though – ice cream!” She stood up abruptly and hurried out of the room leaving Cyrus confused. Johanna hadn’t pried for details and she didn’t seem offended by his blunt remark. He wasn’t sure how to respond. She seemed quite bubbly, the exact opposite of what he was. She returned a few moments later with a big tub of choc-chip ice cream and two spoons then handed him one and took the other for herself.

He watched her help herself to a big scoop of ice-cream, finding a simple action quite fascinating. Eating ice-cream, especially out of a tub like this, was considered repulsive in the eyes of his father. He claimed consuming too much ice-cream led to unhealthy adults. A ridiculous statement, but one he enforced. Johanna managed to get some on her face. Without a thought, he reached a hand out and scraped it off with his thumb, gently brushing his fingers against her face.

She stopped eating. He quickly withdrew his hand and looked down, berating himself for touching her without permission. That was also forbidden. “Sorry,” he mumbled, lowering his spoon. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Johanna said picking up his spoon. She handed it back to him, her eyes locking on his own. “It’s more than anything else anyone has done for me. Some of the other guys that visited weren’t very nice people. They’d laugh at me and call me names. One guy actually pushed me into the lake once.” She paused then spoke some more. “You’ve gone through something similar, haven’t you? I can see the pain in your eyes. Maybe that’s why I feel a connection with you.”

He had often heard of people talking about connections with others before and he still wasn’t quite sure what it meant. Despite the little experience he had with other human beings, he felt somehow at peace in her presence. Was this the connection others often talked about it? He didn’t know, but he wanted it to last. “It’s a topic I avoid talking about.”

“I know the feeling, but sometimes it’s better to let it all out rather than keep it bottled up inside. There’s only so much pain a person can take before it consumes them, turning them into someone else.” She placed a hand over his own, her eyes never leaving his face. “You’re not as alone as you think you are.” She pulled her hand away suddenly and stood up. “You should get some rest. I’ll come and check up on you later.” She stood up and exited the room, leaving the tub of ice-cream with him.  
For the first time in his life, he felt at peace.


	2. The Great Adventure Begins

# The Great Adventure Begins

“Do you really think it is wise to send your daughter knowing that he is out there?” Professor Carolina said as she sat down at the table across from Johanna.

The woman pushed her short navy-blue bangs away from her face, picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip before responding. “The other parents in our town allowed their children to commence their journeys when they turned ten. Dawn is twelve. I can’t keep her here forever. You allowed your granddaughter Cynthia to leave at ten,” Johanna said, setting her cup down on the table.

Professor Carolina bit her bottom lip, a troubled expression on her aging features. “Cynthia’s situation differs greatly from Dawn’s and you know it,” she hissed. “If you allow your daughter to venture out into the world then you know she will cross paths with him. Do I need to remind you what happened?” Johanna said nothing. Carolina continued. “He abandoned you before Dawn was even born – how do you think he’ll react when he learns that he has a daughter?”

Johanna took another sip of coffee. “Dawn won’t be alone. Professor Rowan will give her a pokémon.”

The professor studied Johanna’s features then sighed. “I can see I will not be able to change your mind. I hope for your sake this is not the wrong decision.” The professor stood up from the chair. She cast a doubtful look over her shoulder in Johanna’s direction before exiting the building. Rubbing her temples, Johanna heaved a sigh.

“Good morning!” a voice chirped behind her, prompting Johanna to jump in her chair. She rubbed her eyes and looked towards the staircase where a younger version of herself stood. Looking at her daughter now reminded her of her own adventures when she was just a child. Young, innocent, naive and she didn’t have to worry about anything because there was nothing to be concerned about.

“Morning, sweetie,” Johanna replied, trying to mimic the same enthusiasm Dawn showed. Letting her guard down now would only make Dawn suspicious and the less she knew about her mother’s worries, the better for them all. “Did you get a good night’s sleep? You know just how important today is.”

Dawn skipped over to the table and helped herself to one of the choc-chip biscuits sitting in the jar in the middle. “Of course, I haven’t forgotten. Today is the day I receive my first pokémon!” She hugged her mother then pulled away. “What made you change your mind?”

“I couldn’t hold you back from pursuing your dreams no longer,” her mother replied. “I remember you telling me you wanted to become the region’s best trainer after we led that baby bidoof back to its home. I know you have what it takes to be the best and I know you won’t stop until you’ve achieved it.” Dawn reminded her so strongly of her father – he too, was a very goal-driven character and would not stop until the goal was successfully completed.

Dawn’s smile faded. “I wish my father was here to celebrate this moment.”

Johanna comforted her daughter with a tight hug. “I’m sure he’d be very proud of you,” she said, grateful Dawn couldn’t see the grim smile on her face. She pulled back and put on a fake grin. “Why don’t you go and pay your friend, Barry, a visit? His mother tells me he’s leaving for his journey today as well. You can visit Professor Rowan together.”

“I’ll do that now.”

“I’ll pack your bag while you visit your friend. Have fun!”

.

Dawn was greeted by a strong gust of cold wind as she closed the door behind her. Twinleaf Town was built on hilly terrain, so its residents generated power using wind turbines which were located on the highest hill peaks. It also didn’t help they were situated in the second coldest location in Sinnoh. Winter had passed, but there were still some snowy grass patches in the area.

Wrapping her scarf around her neck, she started making her way towards her friend’s place. Barry’s house was easy to spot – there were only three buildings in this town. One house belonged to Barry’s family, and the other belonged to a single mother and her son, Mike. She reached Barry’s house and prepared to knock on the door when it flung open. Her childhood friend stood at the doorway looking like he had just crawled out of bed and gotten caught in a windstorm. His thick blond hair stuck out in all directions and there was even a smudge of sauce on the front of his shirt.

“Oh, hey Dawn! I’m going to see Professor Rowan! You should come too, and quickly!” he blurted before Dawn could even speak a single word.

Barry wasn’t a person known for his levels of patience. He acted, moved, and even spoke quickly. Sometimes his sentences were so hard to decipher because he spoke so fast that all his words merged into one. “Lead the way.” She turned to head towards the town’s only exit when Barry suddenly brought a hand to his head.

“Oh, geez, I forgot something.” He spun around on his heels and darted back inside. Dawn shook her head and stepped inside her friend’s house. His mother was sitting on the couch watching a news item about climate change, but she spotted Dawn and greeted her with a warm welcome. Dawn smiled in response and his mother informed the girl her son had raced upstairs.

Dawn walked up the stairs and found Barry standing before his desk, throwing books and various items into a bag sitting on the chair. She wasn’t surprised he had forgotten something – how could anyone find anything in this room? It was like a tornado had hit this place. “...Where did I put my journal… Oh, there it is…” he muttered as he picked up his bag. He turned around and spotted Dawn and greeted her with a grin. “I’ll be waiting for you outside! It’s a ten million dollar fine if you are late!” he teased. He sped past her and raced down the stairs.

She made her way back down the stairs, said her goodbyes to Barry’s mother and exited the house. One of the local kids was standing near the town’s exit – his name was Mike and instead of becoming a trainer like all the other kids, he had chosen to act as a guardsman instead. His job was to prevent wild pokémon from entering the houses of the locals. Sometimes, bidoofs found their way into people’s homes, and destroyed whatever wood they could sink their teeth into.

“Hey there, Dawn!” Mike called out, waving. “Setting out for your journey, right? Barry raced past here before, but he wouldn’t be able to get too far since he doesn’t have a pokémon either. It won’t be long until you find him. Good luck, make us proud!” He winked and Dawn grinned back. She walked past him and stepped onto Route 201.

Barry was waiting for her near a large patch of tall grass. This time, he didn’t greet her with a grin. Instead, he furrowed his brows and flared his nostrils in a gesture of annoyance. “You are so slow.” His annoyed expression didn’t last long, replaced quickly by a wide smile. “All right! We’re going to head to Professor Rowan’s place.” He took a step towards the grass.

“Barry, we can’t do that. Wild pokémon live in the tall grass and we don’t have any pokémon to defend ourselves with,” Dawn pointed out.

He thought hard for a moment then nodded. “We just have to dash through the grass. They won’t be able to touch us!” he exclaimed, placing a foot into the grassy patch.

Dawn wished she felt as confident as Barry, but she couldn’t help but think his plan was just a tad bit foolish. Still, he was her best friend and there was no way she was going to stay behind while he had all the fun. She followed him into the grass and was about to take a few steps further when a voice called out.

“Hold it!”

Dawn froze. She gave Barry a worried look who for once in his life looked concerned. Both turned around to find an elderly man dressed in a white lab coat and grey pants rushing towards him. Judging by the absence of a smile on his face, Dawn knew the man was less than amused by their actions. His eyes studied their faces then dropped to their waistlines, before returning to their eyes again. “I see you do not have a pokébelt which means you do not have any pokémon. Why on earth are you running around in the tall grass?”

“Well… uh…” started Barry, struggling to find a rational way to explain the situation at hand. Dawn would’ve teased him right now about making a mess of things if she hadn’t been in the same situation. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Dawn for some support. Dawn didn’t say anything. How was she supposed to explain this? “Wait a minute. Isn’t that Professor Rowan?” he whispered to Dawn.

Dawn lifted a brow. “Even I knew that,” she lied. She recognized the name – everyone in the region knew Professor Rowan, but she had never seen him a photo of him before, so she didn’t recognize his face. Her mother always spoke highly of the man and Dawn assumed he would be around her mother’s age. Apparently, he was related to Johanna, but her mother never explained it, her history remaining a mystery.

She turned back to the professor and bit her bottom lip. This was the man who gave starting out trainers their first pokémon. Would he give them one now knowing they were about to do something as reckless as dashing through a patch of grass filled with wild pokémon without one of their own? Was he even aware she was Johanna’s daughter?

“… They wanted a pokémon of their own, so they walked into the grass…” he murmured, stroking his chin. “… If I were to give them a pokémon… but do they deserve one? Reckless trainers are dangerous… Hmm, what to do…” He studied the expressions on both Dawn and Barry’s faces. “Do you love pokémon?”

She met Barry’s eyes and knew immediately what he was thinking. Who didn’t love pokémon? “Of course, we do! You can ask a thousand times and the answer will always be the same!” Barry exclaimed. “We love pokémon, right Dawn?” he said, nudging her sharply in the ribs.

Dawn held down a yelp. “Yeah!” she blurted.

Professor Rowan didn’t seem convinced. “Why should I give a pair of reckless kids a pokémon of their own? It worries me what could happen to these pokémon if placed into the wrong hands,” he said sternly.

Dawn cast her eyes downwards at her feet, shifting uncomfortably while Barry fidgeted with his fingers. This was it. She had gone and ruined her chances of receiving a pokémon all because she couldn’t hold back her friend. What would her mother think?

“It was my fault, professor! I convinced Dawn to sprint through the grass. Don’t punish her for my mistake!” he blurted. His honesty took Dawn by surprise. She looked at him, an eyebrow raised.

“How big of you…” The man straightened, a smile forming on his lips. “I have come to a decision. I will give you both a pokémon, but you must promise me never to endanger yourselves like that again. Is that understood?”

Dawn and Barry answered simultaneously. “Yes!”

Professor Rowan seemed satisfied with their response. “Now, where is Lucas… for such a young man in peak health he surely has a lot of trouble trying to keep up with me…” he mumbled, turning around in circles searching for Lucas. A few moments later a young teenage male with a cap appeared carrying a brown briefcase in his right hand. He approached the professor, huffing and puffing, and placed the briefcase on the grass besides the man.

“You left your briefcase at the lake, professor.” Dawn had never seen the male before, but he didn’t appear to be that much older than herself. He was wearing black denim pants and a blue and black jacket which covered a red short-sleeved shirt. The male caught Dawn’s eyes and nodded, although it didn’t seem to be a warm gesture. “Is there something wrong?”

“Ah, there you are, Lucas. I thought you may have gotten lost. Could you please open the briefcase? I am going to entrust these two young trainers with a pokémon of their own.”

Lucas’s brown eyes widened. “What? You’re going to give these two trainers a pokémon? But what about the forms the parents must sign? You can’t just give them one – for all we know they could be reckless trainers,” he said.

“There comes a time when people should meet pokémon. There is a world that should be explored together. For them, today is that time. This place, right now.” He looked at Lucas again and nodded. Lucas sighed, but he opened the briefcase and turned it around so Dawn and Barry could see it better. There were three pokéballs. Under each one there was a label and a picture. “Go on, choose one.”

“You go first, Dawn,” Barry said. He then grinned. “I’m practically a grown-up so I have to show some class here.”

The pokéball on the left had an image of a male green tortoise called Turtwig, the one in the middle was of a male orange monkey labelled Chimchar and the final one had a picture of a female blue penguin called Piplup. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know what type each pokémon was classified as. All three pokémon looked adorable, but she decided to go with the tortoise instead. Grass-types were often overlooked – there was a report on the television just the other day explaining how most trainers opted to go with a fire or water-type as their first pokémon just because grass-types had far too many disadvantages.

Well, Dawn wasn’t going to be one of those trainers. Pokémon were only as strong as their trainers and she planned to be the best in all Sinnoh. “I’ll choose the Turtwig.”

Barry didn’t hesitate. He selected the fire-type monkey. “I’ll take Chimchar then!”

Lucas closed the briefcase. Professor Rowan cleared his throat and spoke again. “Very well! Both of you have chosen a good pokémon, it seems. Now, listen well! The pokémon you have been entrusted with are unfamiliar with the world. In that regard, they’re much like you. As fellow newcomers to the world, I hope you’ll do well together. If you have any trouble, come see me at my lab in Sandgem Town. And now, we’ll be on our way.” He started to walk away, briskly striding through the grass while Lucas ran after him, calling for his name.

Once the two had left, Barry turned to face Dawn. “We’ve both got pokémon now and you know what that means, right? Are you up for this?” he demanded, holding out his pokéball to her face. He took a couple of steps back as Dawn did the same.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” Dawn replied, holding out her pokéball. “Bring it!”

Barry was almost jumping up and down from excitement. He pointed a finger in her direction, eyes shining with joy. “I challenge you to a battle, Dawn!” He threw out his pokéball and Dawn threw her one out several seconds after. The two pokémon emerged from their safety zones and faced each other. “All right go for it! Chimchar! Attack!” Chimchar did not move. Rather, it just looked up at Barry with confusion.

It was at the precise moment Dawn realized they didn’t know what attacks their pokémon knew. She picked up the pokéball and noticed there was a tiny piece of paper attached to the back of it. Removing it, she read the words scribbled onto it out loud so Barry could hear. “Your pokémon are both young and therefore they have much to learn about the world. pokémon learn moves as they become more experienced. You will have the option to choose their move set by visiting a pokémon centre when the time comes. Right now, this pokémon knows two moves – Tackle and Withdraw.”

Dawn put the pokéball away and returned her attention to the battle. “Okay, Turtwig, let’s do this! Use Tackle!” Turtwig jumped at her command.

Barry put his note away and issued his first command. “Chimchar, use Scratch!” The monkey leaped forward, clawing at Turtwig’s face. Turtwig stumbled backwards, wincing from the attack. Dawn tightened her jaw. This was the moment she had been waiting for an exceptionally long time and she was not going to let her best friend win.

It was now Turtwig’s time to attack and he charged forward at quite a surprising speed for a tortoise and tackled the small ape to the ground. The monkey squealed, flailing his limbs around in the air, desperately trying to free itself from underneath the tortoises’ body. “Good work, Turtwig!” Dawn cheered.

“Use Scratch again, Chimchar!”

“Use Tackle, Turtwig!”

Turtwig moved off Chimchar to prepare himself for another attack, allowing the monkey temporary freedom. Chimchar lunged forward, swiping at the tortoise’s face again. Once again, Turtwig winced but he was still in the match. He charged and tackled the monkey to the ground. This time, the monkey did not move. He lay there on the ground, his eyes rolled back into his head, tongue hanging loosely out the side of its mouth.

“Aw man,” Barry groaned.

A smile broke out on Dawn’s face. “I won!” She hurried over to Turtwig, bent down, and gave her new friend a hug. Turtwig seemed to appreciate it and rubbed his face against her own, while Barry returned his fainted monkey to his ball.

“Are you sure you haven’t battled before?” Barry said, perplexed. “You already seem to know exactly what you are doing… or maybe it was just a case of beginner’s luck? Oh well, I’ll be ready next time.”

Dawn stood back up and shrugged. “My mother told me that my father was also a trainer. I guess it just runs in the family then… or at least on one side of the family.” Her mother was a fashion coordinator.

“I’m going to train hard!” her friend exclaimed, pointing a finger at her face. “You better train hard too, Dawn. I don’t want you falling behind me. I’m going to go and visit Professor Rowan in Sandgem Town to thank him properly for giving me this opportunity, but I’m going to get something to eat first. I’m famished.” Before Dawn could get in another word, Barry sprinted off, heading back in the direction of Twinleaf.

Heading back home was probably a good idea though; the battle had been rather tiring even if it had only been a short one. If she was exhausted now, she wondered how tired she was going to be in future battles. She made a promise to herself to keep in shape so she wouldn’t place herself at a disadvantage in upcoming matches.

“Come on, Turtwig. I’m taking you home.”

Turtwig glanced up at her curiously but tagged along at her side as she retraced her steps back to Twinleaf Town, a gentle breeze brushing up against her skin.

.

“Sweetie, you’ve returned!” Johanna’s eyes moved to the pokémon accompanying her daughter. She smiled. “And I see you’ve brought back a new friend!” She moved forward, bent down, and rubbed the tortoise just beneath his chin. Turtwig closed his eyes and made a weird noise, which almost sounded like a purring sound. Her mother stood up. “I’ve packed the standard items a trainer needs for their journey and I’ve also included the trainer tips book. You know that book was written by Professor Oak, so it’s bound to contain useful information. Oh, your bank account details are also in your bag – you know trainers give each other a small percentage of their current savings to the victor after a battle.”

Dawn nodded. She already knew some of the basics of being a trainer thanks to the television. “Thanks mum!”

“You don’t need to thank me – I’m your mother, looking after you is my job.” Her mother leaned over and kissed her daughter on the forehead. “Go and fulfil your dreams, sweetie!” She took a step back and waved. Dawn exited her house for the second time that day and slung her bag over her shoulder. Leaving home was a scary feeling, but at least she wasn’t alone.

She looked down at her companion who was currently observing his surroundings. The baby tortoise seemed a little nervous to be out in the wild as he stood close to Dawn’s legs. “Don’t be frightened, Turtwig,” Dawn said soothingly. “I’m new to this as well. We’ll learn together. It won’t be long before you’ll be the strongest turtwig in the region.” Those words seemed to lessen the pokémon’s nerves. “We’re going to go and visit the professor in the neighbouring town.”

Once again, she found herself on Route 201, but only this time she could venture through the patches of grass without fear of being attacked by a pokémon. It wasn’t long before she found her old friend Barry pacing back and forth. “Barry? I thought you would’ve been in Sandgem by now.”

He turned around and smiled. “I was going to go and thank him on my own, but I thought I should wait for you instead. After all, we did receive our pokémon at the same time. There’s something I want to do first before we go on further though – do you remember the lake we always play at? I hear there is a powerful legendary pokémon there and I think we should go catch it!” His eyes shone with excitement.

Once again, Dawn wasn’t so sure with Barry’s decision. He never thought ahead; he just made up ideas on the spot. Dawn on the other hand preferred to think things through before acting upon them. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? We just received our pokémon – I highly doubt we’d be strong enough to take a legendary pokémon on.”

She could just imagine the horror on the professor’s face if he stumbled upon them trying to battle a legendary. Speaking of legendaries, where had Barry received the information about one being so close to home anyway? She certainly hadn’t heard anything, but once again she found herself going along with Barry’s crazy ideas.

He grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the lake. “We’re going to make Professor Rowan so happy! Just imagine the look on his face when we show him a legendary pokémon!” They arrived at the lake and entered through a narrow opening in between a couple of pine trees. There were three lakes in Sinnoh, and this one, called Lake Verity, just happened to be the smallest of them. That wasn’t a bad thing though; it meant there were no tourists around here to disrupt the peace.

But today, there was a visitor. There was a man standing at the edge of the lake, staring down at the crystal-clear water talking to himself, as if there was someone else there. Dawn caught snippets of the words. “… The flowing time… The expanding space… I will make it mine one day… Cyrus is my name. Remember it… Until then, sleep while you can legendary pokémon of the lakebed…” The man turned around, running a hand through his spiky blue hair, which was a lighter shade than Dawn’s own.

“Aw, the blogger lied,” Barry complained. “I was so sure there was going to be a legendary pokémon here.”

Cyrus looked at Dawn. Dawn looked at Cyrus. She felt like she had seen those eyes somewhere before but that couldn’t be right. She had never seen this guy in her life, so why did they seem so familiar? “Allow me to pass. Step aside,” he commanded coldly. Dawn and Barry obeyed, and the man strode by exiting the lake.

“What a weird guy… did you see that hair?” Barry mumbled.

Dawn frowned. “What’s wrong with blue hair?”

“Oh nothing! It’s just… it’s not really that common, is it? Blue hair is quite popular in Kanto and Johto, but not here in Sinnoh,” he explained blankly. “I looked it up on PokéWeb,” he added as if that explained everything. “Anyway, there’s nothing for us here so let’s move on to Sandgem! I’ll race you there!”

“Wait!” she called out, but Barry had already sprinted away, dashing off to the next town to meet up with Professor Rowan. Dawn, on the other hand, stayed behind for a while, gazing at the crystalline clear lake. She walked over, stood at the water’s edge, and gazed down. The man that had been here previously spoke to the lake as if there was a creature down below. He seemed oddly polite, but he gave off an aura that made her feel cold inside. Perhaps he was one of those dangerous trainers she had heard about in the stories shared around the campfire during cold winter nights.

They were called wild trainers – these were trainers who chose not to live by the official league rules, instead choosing to make their own. They often lived in secluded parts of the region, preying on hapless trainers, and beating them to a pulp before the victim could even react. She didn’t have to worry about them too much if she remained on the main path. Wild trainers relied on luring and ambushing tactics and never set foot on the main road.

Turtwig rubbed his head against the back of leg, staring up at her with a look she read as confusion. Her pokémon was probably urging her to continue moving on. She smiled, bending down to give her new companion a scratch beneath the chin. “You’re right. There’s nothing else for us here.” Turtwig led the way out of the lake, moving as fast as his stumpy legs would carry him, as Dawn followed closely behind. Sandgem Town was her next destination.


	3. Lessons

Sandgem Town was a lot smaller than she had imagined. On the television, the place seemed so grand, but it was just another town, only this one was built on the shoreline of a beach. The salty scent of the sea filled her nostrils and she scrunched up her face, unused to the smell.

“Hey slowpoke! Over here!” Barry said, calling her over, waving both his hands in the air. He was standing in front of a building with an aqua-coloured roof, a smile plastered on his face. “The professor is inside. Come on in!” Barry opened the door and stepped inside, and Dawn followed.

The research lab was a little disorganized – there were a couple of books lying on the ground, papers scattered on tables and even the professor himself looked a little rattled. He was bent over another table, mumbling to himself something about a ‘pokédex’. “Uh, hello?” Dawn said.

Upon hearing her name, the professor turned around. His face brightened and he hurried over to her with three coloured pokédexes in his hand. Lucas, his assistant, was also there and he regarded Dawn and Barry coolly. “Ah, I’m glad to see you are here Dawn. Your friend arrived moments earlier and we were beginning to worry about your status. But you are here now, and I can give you a very important tool that will help you in your journey.”

Lucas stepped forward to offer an explanation. “Professor Rowan is holding a pokédex. They come in all colours, but we’ve only got a black, red, and pink one left. The pokédex is an essential tool in any trainer’s journey – they will record information on any pokémon you encounter, and they will also keep track of your own pokémon’s details.” He turned to focus on Dawn. “Naturally, I’d assume you would like the pink one?”

Dawn shook her head. “I was actually thinking of taking the black one.”

Lucas raised a brow and looked at the professor. The professor shrugged. “What seems to be the problem, Lucas?”

“I wanted the black one.”

“Well, you can have the pink one instead.”

Lucas grumbled.

Professor Rowan smiled, gazing down at Dawn’s Turtwig. “I see your pokémon has already grown stronger. He clearly seems to like you lots. It appears I made a good choice in allowing you and your friend to have a pokémon of your own. Before you go, I’d like to give you this TM called Return.” He reached down over to his table and handed the two trainers a small bottle of clear liquid. “I mentioned in the note that you can teach your pokémon moves by taking them to a pokémon centre, but you can’t do that with TM’s. TM’s are technical moves and can be bought for a fee at a department store. They are moves your pokémon wouldn’t normally learn naturally, but they can be taught.”

“How will I know what moves a pokémon can learn?” Dawn said glancing down at the TM. It sounded like a performance enhancing drug but permanent.

“Your pokédex will have the entire list. New moves are learnt when your pokémon reaches a certain level,” the professor explained. “Now what moves you choose to keep, and remove are all up to you. Some trainers, like the Dragon Tamers of the Blackthorn Clan, prefer to use offensive moves and others like Koga of the Indigo League, like to rely on status inflicting moves. Of course, you could also choose to focus entirely on wearing your opponent down with defensive moves though and then attack. It’s up to you. If you want to update your move set, just show your trainer card to the lady at the counter and she’ll connect your pokémon to the move tutor machine.” Dawn lifted her eyebrows. “Don’t worry, it’s painless,” he added quickly at Dawn’s worried look.

She relaxed. “Trainer card?” Dawn repeated.

“You’ll receive your trainer card when you arrive in Jubilife. The trainer card records your details and allows you to compete in the league challenge. If you don’t have a card, they won’t let you through the gates even if you have all eight badges. It’s a security measure.”

Dawn nodded. Hoenn had an incident where trainers were gaining access into the league without trainer cards, using stolen and illegal pokémon. Foreign trainers were mostly to blame since they were the ones usually behind some nefarious scheme. The trainer card system was just one of the many ways companies were protecting their trainers.

“There’s an app that records your trainer details. You’ll need the pokétch item, but you can buy one in the next city.” He walked over to his table and pulled out a drawer, digging his hand inside then pulled it back out. He was holding two metallic cases – one was gold and the other silver. Both had a silver fern on their metallic surfaces. “This is a badge case. Use these to protect your badges.” He gave the silver one to Barry and the golden one to Dawn.

Dawn and Barry exchanged smiles. It all sounded simple enough. “I’m going to catch every pokémon for you, Professor Rowan!” Barry exclaimed, as he grabbed his red pokédex and badge case, stashing both items into his bag. “Anyway, time is wasting! I’ll see you later, Dawn!” And before anyone could say anything, Barry was already out the door.

“…Well then…” Professor Rowan said, turning to Dawn, looking a little shocked by Barry’s sudden departure. “Lucas will show you around the town and he’ll teach you the basics of catching pokémon, won’t you Lucas?”

Lucas grumbled, putting his pink pokédex away. “I’ll show Dawn the basics.” He turned to her now and nodded towards the lab exit. “Come on. I’ll show you everything you need to know about becoming a good trainer.” Dawn got the feeling Lucas wasn’t too thrilled about it, but there was nothing he could do.

They stepped outside into the glaring sun and Lucas led Dawn over to a building with a blue roof. Dawn had never seen such a building before and looked at the assistant for an explanation. “This is the pokémart. You can buy all your pokémon essentials here – potions, pokéballs, repels… that sort of thing. You don’t have any badges though, so you’ll only be able to buy the basics. You’ll need badges to gain access to high quality items. The pokémart isn’t just needs for your partners though - they do sell items for humans as well.”

They exited the building immediately. Dawn frowned but didn’t say anything. She had hoped Lucas would’ve allowed her to do some window shopping at least. “What else is there?”

“Most towns and cities have a pokémon centre, but as you can see, we don’t have one here. Pokémon centres have a red roof so you can’t miss it. If you need to heal your pokémon, you go to a pokémon centre. Healing is free. Pokémon centres also treat humans as well so if you need a rest yourself, or a place to stay for the night, go to one and you will be looked after by the staff,” he explained, leading Dawn towards the northern exit.

Dawn nodded. Pokémon centre, red roof. Pokémart, blue roof. “Where are we going now?”

“I’m going to show you how to catch a pokémon. You will become a stronger trainer, the more pokémon you have on your team. You can have a maximum of six pokémon at any one time and the six you choose should complement each other. Don’t become a monotype trainer unless it is your wish to become a gym leader or a member of the league – you want a varied team so you can withstand any attack your opponent may use on you. You should build your team around your starter. Your starter is a grass-type, so I would suggest getting a fire and water-type to cover Turtwig’s weaknesses.”

“What types are there?”

Lucas began to list them all. “Dragon, flying, fire, water, ice, grass, rock, ground, steel, electric, poison, dark, ghost, bug, normal, fighting, psychic and fairy… but fairies are only native to Kalos unless you trade for one. They’re currently working on introducing the fairy-types in other regions, but the breeding programme hasn’t commenced yet. Dragon-types are the hardest to raise because it takes them longer to gain levels, but don’t let that discourage you.”

So many types. How was she going to narrow it down to just six pokémon? “It sounds pretty complex.”

Lucas shrugged. “It’s all part of the fun of being a pokémon trainer. The team you assemble says a lot about you and your battling style, so choose pokémon that reflect your personality. Ah, here we are.”

Dawn had been so distracted by Lucas’s words that she hadn’t even realized they had left the town. They were now standing before a patch of grass. Lucas called out his pokémon, a piplup, and walked into the grass.

“To catch a pokémon you must battle it until the wild pokémon is close to fainting. The weaker it is, the easier it is to catch. If you are having difficulty catching a pokémon, you should try and paralyse it or put it to sleep to weaken it further. You can tell when a pokémon is about to faint when it starts showing signs of extreme fatigue. That’s the moment when you throw your pokéball. Do you see that starly over there?” He drew Dawn’s attention to a plump black and white avian foraging in the grass. “I’ll show you how to catch one. Piplup, use Peck!”

His penguin wobbled forward and attacked the starly before the wild pokémon even knew what was going on. It received a sharp jab on the head and squawked, then turned around to fight back. Starly attacked, but the penguin got another move in first. Starly stumbled backwards, its’ body swaying from side to side.

“Oh!” Dawn said, as Lucas threw a pokéball at the avian’s head. The bird was sucked into the ball. It was like magic. Dawn wasn’t quite sure how a pokémon could fit into item, but perhaps it was a combination of technology and the unique pokémon biology.

The ball rocked back and forth, once to the left, then to the right and back to the left again, a three second delay in between each movement. After the third movement, it came to a sudden stop. “Starly has been captured. Sometimes, the pokémon will escape. Some pokémon have a weak resistance while others are difficult to capture, such as legendary pokémon. If you find yourself unable to capture a pokémon after exhausting all other options, then you probably need to upgrade your pokéball to the next level. Do you need me to go over anything?”

That was a lot of information to absorb, Dawn noted. “No, I’m good,” she replied.

Lucas seemed relieved. “That’s good to hear. I don’t have the time to hold your hand and watch over you to make sure you’re doing it right.” An unpleasant sensation gripped her stomach. Why did he dislike her so much? “Anyway, I’ll give you these five pokéballs so you can get started on completing your pokédex. If you get into any form of trouble, be sure to call for help! You do have an xtransceiver, right?”

“Uh…” Dawn rummaged through her bag, searching for the communication device. Fortunately, her mother had packed one for her. “Yup!” She pulled it out and handed it to Lucas. Lucas took it and entered a couple of numbers and handed it back to her. Dawn took it back and returned it to the safety of her shoulder bag.

“Right. I should be returning to the lab to help the professor with his next assignment. Keep heading down this path – it will eventually take you to Jubilife City where you will have the opportunity to gain your first badge.” He pointed down the path to the north-eat. “Good luck,” he said, but he didn’t sound like he meant it. He said his goodbyes and headed back towards the lab, leaving Dawn behind. The boy seemed glad to get away and Dawn wondered what she had done to make him dislike her so.

She glanced down at Turtwig who also appeared to be confused. “Don’t worry about him, Turtwig. I think he’s mad because he got the pink pokédex instead. Let’s head to Jubilife, shall we?” Turtwig nodded eager to make some progress. Dawn smiled. The quest to obtain her first badge had begun!

.

Johanna stood at the doorway of her daughter’s room, fighting off the urge to shed tears. Dawn had only been gone for a couple of hours, but it felt like a decade. She would not return home for a couple of years until she claimed the title of Champion. At least she had her pokémon. At least her daughter wouldn’t be completely alone. She sniffed, using the back palm of her right hand to wipe her eyes then exited, closing the door behind her.

She headed back downstairs to make herself comfortable on the couch. Flopping down, she crossed her legs and leaned back into the sofa, grabbing a magazine on the table. She flicked through the pages, stopping at the fashion section. In a couple of weeks Hearthome City would be hosting a massive event. Most of the time she worked at home, designing outfits, and selling her ideas to dressmakers, but there were times she helped at special events like these. She was about to pick up the phone to give some of her contacts a call when there was a knock on the door. Frowning, she stood up and cautiously made her way over. She doubted Dawn would be back only just having left a few hours ago – and it surely couldn’t be Cynthia’s grandmother again so soon – perhaps it was Professor Rowan himself?

Placing a hand on the doorknob, she turned it clockwise slowly until it creaked open. She pulled it back just enough to catch a glimpse of the person standing on the otherwise. He was tall, at least a foot taller than herself, and dressed in black clothes and a grey jacket. Johanna noticed there was a ‘G’ imprinted just beneath the right lapel. She drew in a deep breath and forced herself to look into his eyes. “Cyrus.”

His reply was immediate. “Johanna.”

He was the last person she wanted to see, but here he was standing on her doorstep only this time, he wasn’t carrying a bouquet of flowers, nor soaking wet. Johanna looked past him hoping none of her neighbours were watching, but fortunately they were all inside. She didn’t want the neighbours asking questions about ‘her guest’. She stepped aside and allowed him in, slamming the door shut. “What do you want?” she demanded immediately, pressing her back against the door, eyeing him warily.

“I have an offer for you.” He moved to the kitchen table and sat down then looked at her again. “Sit,” he added, gesturing to an empty chair beside him. Johanna felt a stab of annoyance at being given an order in her own house, but she obeyed and sat down. “I would like you to join Galactic.”

A sardonic laugh escaped her throat. “Is that it?”

He looked at her blankly. “Is what it?”

“You disappear for over a decade and now you return out of the blue to offer me a job?”

He shook his head. “Not a job. A new home.” He placed a hand on her arm and looked into her eyes. “Galactic is a corporation dedicated to making the world a better place and I want you to be a part the process, Johanna.”

“What do you mean by ‘make the world a better place’?” She tried moving her arm away, unnerved by his touch, but that only encouraged him to tighten his grip.

“The world we live in is imperfect; I seek to change that. We live in a world populated by weak-minded fools and fragile hearts and they drag us down. We will never evolve as a race with incompetent fools living in our universe. A change is needed,” he explained, eyes never leaving her face.

She flinched, suddenly uncomfortable. She pried his fingers off her arm and pulled her arm back to her side. Making the world a better place wasn’t a bad idea. In fact, she agreed with him to some extent. There was so much wrong in the world that purging it of its evils was quite appealing, but she knew it wasn’t possible. “Despite your brilliance, Cyrus, there’s nothing you can do. We have to learn to accept that not everything will be the way we would like it to be,” she said softly.

A muscle jerked in his jaw. “I can make it happen.”

“You’re not a God.”

“I will be.”

Now she was worried. Cyrus hadn’t always been the most mentally stable person thanks to his rough upbringing, but she thought she could help him overcome the horrors of his past. What a fool she had been to think that someone as damaged as him could be changed. A part of her, a tiny part, still wanted to believe he could be saved from himself. Deep down a part of her still longed for that happy ending. “A feeling isn’t a weakness, Cyrus. It can make us stronger. It brings people together.”

“Emotions are the cause of strife.”

“You once told me that there is a reason to cry, and it wasn’t of sadness, but of joy and laughter. Are you telling me now that you want to rid the world of the ability to experience happiness because of a few bad apples? Quit acting like a child!” she scolded.

“What did you call me?” he said his voice dangerously low.

She looked at him sternly. “A child. You’re throwing a tantrum because things aren’t the way you would like it to be.” She took in a deep breath and rose from her chair, pushing it back in. “You walked out on me twelve years ago – do you really think I’d go back to you after everything that happened?”

“I had to leave.”

“You cared more about Galactic than you did about me!” she spluttered, throwing him an accusing look. “You left me when I needed you most!” She remembered the day he left as if it had happened yesterday. It was a Sunday morning and she had been returning home after a check-up at the pokémon centre to inform Cyrus that she was indeed pregnant, but she never had the chance to tell him because he had randomly disappeared, leaving behind only a note.

Cyrus just looked at her, a slight frown on his face. “You had money and a home.”

She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling, biting down almost hard enough to draw blood. “I was pregnant!” she blurted, tears threatening to spill. “She asks about you often – but I can’t bring myself to tell her the truth. If she knew about you and your crazy ideas, it would break her, and I won’t inflict that pain on her!” Now she was crying. She hated crying, but tears were unavoidable when she was upset.

“A daughter?” he said slowly, as if he had never heard the word before.

Johanna sniffed. “I’m not telling you more – you don’t deserve to know anything else.”

He stood up and moved to stand directly in front of Johanna. “She’s my daughter.”

“And you were never there for her! Cynthia’s grandmother filled in your role,” she spat. She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth as she suddenly found herself pinned down on the table, one arm underneath her, and the other behind. She tried to struggle against him, but his hold was far too strong.

He lowered his head and whispered into her right ear, brushing aside her bangs. “And to think I offered you a chance to stand with me…” He placed a finger beneath her eye to catch a tear. Johanna struggled again, but her attempts proved futile. He trailed the same finger down the side of her cheek gently then wrapped an arm around her slender waist. “I had hoped you would understand… but I was wrong. You mock my ideas, but you will see that I am right.” He brought his lips to hers, pressing against them with full force, whilst she moaned at his touch, her hand gripping at his clothing.

She had angered him that much was obvious. She could see the fury in his eyes – never had she seen a fire burn so cold. For a man who claimed to despise emotions, he certainly expressed them with a great passion. It’s what made him so dangerous – repressed emotions couldn’t be held back forever and in heated situations like this, they came out at full force usually in an unpredictable manner. “Your plans will fail – they always did,” she pointed out.

And just like that, he pulled away from her, running a through her hair. He grabbed a handful jerking it roughly. “I will find her… I will make her come to me and then she can decide what is best. Perhaps our daughter will follow in my footsteps instead of yours…” He pulled away from Johanna, allowing the woman to stand. “Or perhaps she’ll prove me wrong.” He led himself out of the house and soon, Johanna found herself alone again. She readjusted her clothes, running a finger across her lips, remembering the feel of him against hers. If only she had tried harder to save him then perhaps, she’d be in a different situation.

.

The route to Jubilife City was quite an exhausting one. It wasn’t a long route per say, but the path climbed upwards, putting extra strain on the body. It wasn’t just the physical activity that was draining; she had to battle three trainers along the way. Fortunately, the battles were rather easy and Turtwig handled himself with ease. This was the less-than-glamorous life of a trainer.

The gates leading to Jubilife City were quite unlike what she expected. She had assumed there’d be some golden archway or whatnot, but instead she had to enter through a gatehouse and pass security. Trainers dressed in black and white uniform stopped her from passing through and gestured to the security screens. “Sorry mam, but we just have to check your bags. Just walk through the screens.”

She nodded and walked through the screens just like the guard had instructed. She passed through without setting off the alarm and continued through to the city. After the events that had taken place in Hoenn a few years ago, officers all around Sinnoh decided to upgrade their security measures to the highest level to ensure the region was better protected from criminal masterminds.

The police let her through, and Dawn soon found herself standing in Jubilife City. She found her surroundings rather intimidating – Twinleaf was a simple village. Jubilife City was at least ten times bigger than her hometown and far busier. It had been voted as the most modernized city in all Sinnoh and it featured the region’s television station, the Pokétch Company, the Trainer’s School, and the Global Trade Station.

Dawn could easily spend a couple of weeks here exploring every building Jubilife had to offer, but she was eager to make progress in her journey. Besides, she could always come back here later anyway. She made her way towards the northern part of the city, walking along a path of gravel, avoiding crashing into people when she spotted a suspicious man standing underneath a lamp pole. He was dressed entirely in black; black clothes, black sunglasses and he even had black hair and black shoes. Dawn approached him.

“Uh, hello?”

The man jumped, seemingly taken by surprise by the sound of Dawn’s voice. “What? How did you know? How did you unmask me as a member of the International Police?!” the man yelped.

Dawn wasn’t sure how to respond. She didn’t have a clue – she didn’t even know there was something called the International Police. “I was just saying hello?”

“Heh, you claim you were only making conversation, but I know better not to believe that. No, no, no. You recognized right away that I was someone extraordinary. That is why you spoke to me, is it not?”

Nope, that was not the reason. “You looked suspicious. Everyone else is dressed in colours and running around the streets, and you’re standing under a lamp pole dressed in shady clothing,” Dawn explained.

The man muttered to himself. Dawn caught the words, ‘black’ and ‘bad idea’. “Your power of observation is fearsome! Quite admirable, you are! Now that my cover has been blown, let me introduce myself. I am a globe-trotting elite of the International Police,” he said. Dawn couldn’t help but think this man was rather eccentric. “My name… Ah, no. I shall inform you only of my code name. My code name, it is Looker. Is it what they all call me. Incidentally, is the saying, “Don’t be a thief’ familiar to you?”

Dawn shook her head. “Sorry, never heard of it before.”

He seemed surprised. “No? You claim to not know it? How could that be? Perhaps your mama has said it, but you have forgotten it, like usual?”

Had she just been insulted? His tone was passive, but his words sounded aggressive. Dawn took a step back. He might be a member of the International Police, but he was a strange character. Simply looking at him gave her a weird feeling. “Sorry.”

“Now listen, my friend. It is wrong to take what belongs to others. Unfortunately, there are apparently those who do not heed those words. In Sinnoh, in fact, there are criminals stealing the pokémon of others. Yes, we have security stationed around all entrances and exits of every city, but there will always be those who outsmart the system. You are aware of the events that took place in Hoenn, yes?”

Dawn nodded. The events that had almost ruined Hoenn had been on the news for a month. Team Aqua and Team Magma were both extreme environmentalists who wanted to gain control of a legendary pokémon to fulfil their goals. Fortunately, they failed, defeated by a girl called May. Rumours of Team Rocket’s resurrection in Johto were spreading throughout Sinnoh, and Dawn felt saddened. Why did criminals have to ruin the joy of being a trainer? “Yes, I heard about it on the news.” And according to this strange man, there was trouble in her homeland as well. That was troubling news.

“I have, therefore, been on the lookout for characters arousing my suspicion. Incidentally, you are a trainer, yes? Perhaps you can make use of this?” He handed her a silver round device with a large screen on it. A camera? “That is a Vs. Recorder; it is a nifty device for recording a match. I obtained it because it is quite popular these days, but myself? I do not do pokémon battling very often so it will be in better hands with you.”

She put the item away. “Thanks.”

He smiled briefly. “Also, I have a request. If you were to see me again, I ask that you do not talk to me, for I am on duty…. Yes, yes, you may speak to me. You must!”

“Uh… ok then.”

“Not because I am lonely, no, no! You must inform me of bad guys! You must inform me of any happenings!” he insisted.

Dawn took another step back, wondering if anyone else had noticed the strange man. “I’ll be sure to,” she said, hoping the man would just go away now and leave her be. Looker nodded, said his goodbyes, and hurried down a dark alleyway, leaving Dawn feeling quite confused. Her mother had always said the world was quite dangerous, but she didn’t expect to be introduced to such an eccentric character so early in her journey.

With Looker now out of the way, Dawn continued walking up the main street. She spotted the pokémon Centre and pokémart nearby. Noticing Turtwig was on the brink of collapsing from all the walking and battling, Dawn picked her companion up and headed towards the pokémon centre. A red--headed nurse was standing behind the counter. Dawn walked up to her.

“Hello! How may I help you?” the woman greeted warmly. “Would you like to heal your pokémon?” she added, glancing down at Turtwig in Dawn’s arms.

Dawn nodded. “That would be great, thank you.”

The woman removed Turtwig from Dawn’s arms. “This will not take long at all. You are free to stand, or you may sit down if you would like to rest.” She turned away and disappeared into a room. Dawn decided to stand. She waited by the counter for what seemed like a couple of minutes when the nurse returned, a healthy Turtwig in her arms.

“Turtwig!” Dawn exclaimed, cuddling her friend.

The nurse smiled. “You can heal your pokémon for free whenever you need to! We are open twenty fours, seven days a week. Goodbye trainer!” Dawn exited the pokémon centre and headed back out onto the main street. Her eyes rested on a building labelled ‘Trainer’s School’. “Hmm, a school for trainers,” she mused. “I wonder if Barry will be there?” She moved towards the building then stepped inside

For a school, it was a lot smaller than what she imagined. Only ten students were present and the teacher, a middle-age man with a bald spot and wide-framed glasses, was sitting at a desk, scribbling down notes into a book. Some students were paying rapt attention, while others, such as the two girls sitting in front of her, were busy exchanging notes beneath the tables. The teacher looked up, caught Dawn’s eyes, and nodded. “The session is over, but you can still write down the notes on the board.”

She thanked the teacher then looked around for a desk to sit at. Her eyes were drawn to the person with bushy blond hair sitting at the front, right in the middle. Barry. Dawn walked over and tapped him on the back. “What are you doing here?”

He jumped, caught by surprise. “Dawn!” He motioned for her to sit down. She took a seat in the empty table to his right. “If I want to be a good trainer, I need to understand the basics, right? Trainer’s School is free for everyone! All you need to do is show your pokédex to the teacher and you’ll be allocated a time and a day for your session. As usual, you’re late, but you can always sign up for a class a later date. You have to sign up with the teacher.”

Dawn shrugged. She wasn’t too concerned. After all, she already knew the basics thanks to the education programs on the television. Besides, she’d learn more hints and tips throughout her journey. “That’s all right.”

He glanced at the clock in the upper right-hand corner of the room. “Would you look at the time? I better get going. You should head to Oreburgh City next, that’s where the next gym is.” He dug into his bag and pulled out a scrunched-up piece of paper. “That’s the town map. I’ve already got one so you can have this one. See you later!” Barry stood up and rushed out of the classroom.

With Barry gone, Dawn didn’t see a reason to stay behind longer, so she left the building and set foot on the main road once again. She walked a couple of metres when a man interrupted her. “Hey there, trainer! We’re running a promotion for the pokétch right now, and if you find the three clowns and receive all the coupons, you will be given one for free! Doesn’t that sound great? We’re only running this special promotion today though, so you better obtain the coupons.”

Pokétch was said to be an essential item for a trainer and she wasn’t going to turn down a free one. They were rumoured to be quite expensive. Besides, the professor had mentioned she needed one anyway for the trainer card app. Dawn walked around the streets until she found one of the first three clowns standing by the pokémart. He was dressed in a rather embarrassing outfit – a baggy brown polka-dot suit. _Poor guy, must’ve been rather hot in there._

The clown turned to face her. “You want a coupon? Guess the question correctly and you’ll receive one.” He took in a deep breath and continued. “Does a pokémon grow by defeating others and gaining experience points?”

Well, that was a rather easy question to answer. “Yes,” answered Dawn.

“Correct! Here is your coupon!” He handed her a golden coupon.

Dawn walked around the streets again, searching for the next clown. Thankfully, with their funny outfits they were easy to spot in a busy crowd of people. The second clown was standing in front of the Pokétch Company in the northwest corner of the city. Like the first clown, he greeted her with a broad smile. “I see you have a coupon. Here’s the second question. Just like pokémon types, do the moves also have types?”

She nodded. “Yes.” There were specific moves for each type.

“Correct! Here’s your second coupon, trainer.” Dawn took the second golden coupon and moved away, as another trainer approached the clown. These questions were rather simple, and Dawn wondered if they had produced too many pokétchs. The third clown stood in front of the Jubilife TV station building.

“Ah, another trainer!” He took note of the two golden coupons in her hand and grinned. “Just one more and you’ll get a free pokétch! Here’s the question, can a pokémon hold an item?”

She assumed so. “Yes.”

“Well done, trainer! You answered the three questions correctly! Here is your final coupon,” he said, giving the final of the three coupons. “Just take it back to the director and you’ll be given your pokétch. Good luck!” Dawn walked away and returned to where the company director was standing. His eyes met hers, a knowing smile on his face.

“Judging by the smile on your face, and the twinkle in your eyes, am I correct to assume you answered the three questions correctly?”

Dawn held up the coupons and gave them to the man. “Certainly did.”

He took the coupons and handed her the pokétch device. It looked like her pokédex, only this one was a silver colour and the text ‘pokétch’ engraved on the back. “I wish you all the best of luck in your journey, trainer. Perhaps one day you will become the Champion of Sinnoh.” He waved goodbye and Dawn walked away.

Barry had mentioned the first gym was in Oreburgh City and Dawn currently only had one pokémon. “I think I need a few more pokémon,” she told her Turtwig. “Three’s a crowd, right?” Turtwig gave her an energetic nod. She wasn’t too keen on heading back towards Sandgem though – instead, she wanted to continue moving forward and find wild pokémon in between Jubilife and Oreburgh. “Are you ready, Turtwig?” Turtwig nodded again. Dawn took out her crumpled map, unfolded it carefully and examined it. “According to the town map, we need to head onto Route 203 in order to reach Oreburgh.” She folded it, put it away and proceeded to move to the next destination.


	4. Drawn to the Dark

Most trainers preferred living on the surface, but Roark found the world beneath the surface a whole lot more fascinating. He could spend hours down here, chipping away at the walls searching for rare fossils and rocks, but rock collecting was the last thing on his mind. He had come down here to vent his frustrations by smashing rocks.

“Riley this, Riley that…” he muttered, as Onix slammed his tail into a rock, splitting it down the middle. Another rock destroyed. That brought the total to twenty-five now. It did little to ease his troubled mind, but at least his pokémon were growing stronger because of it. “I can’t believe father offered the position to him first!” Onix smashed another rock.

Riley was the owner of Iron Island, a former prosperous ore mine. It was now a place for trainers to come and train against some of the toughest wild pokémon in the region. Only trainers who had proved themselves were allowed access to the underground reserve otherwise there’d be a severe overcrowding problem. Roark himself had trained his pokémon there under the guidance of his father, Byron, the gym leader of Canalave City.

“I should be the number one choice!” he snapped. “Not Riley.” Riley wasn’t even a rock-type trainer! He didn’t specialize in a type element like a gym leader did. Rather, he focused training pokémon who had higher than average physical attack. He was a highly skilled trainer as Roark had discovered after he foolishly demanded a battle one Friday morning. The trainer’s Lucario had annihilated his team within seconds. Had his loss been the reason why Riley was offered the position over Roark?

He felt a vibration in his pocket. Reaching down, he dug his hand inside, fingers curling around his xtransceiver. He took out, answered it and brought it to his ear. “Roark, I’ve been calling you for the past few hours! Why didn’t you pick up?” said his father.

“I’m busy training.”

He heard his father sigh. “We need to talk.”

How he hated those four words. Every time his father mentioned it, he knew he was in for another long boring lecture. “There is nothing to be talked about! Why are you even calling me? Why don’t you just call Riley instead since you seem to prefer him over me.”

“Roark… I offered the position to Riley because he’s old enough to handle the responsibility of being a gym leader.”

So, his father didn’t think he was mature or wise enough to handle the role. “I am old enough! I graduated from Trainer’s School and the Rock Academy with the best marks!” Even his father knew that was difficult to achieve since the tests were quite difficult. The tests involved a mixture of both theory questions and practical activities to test how determined a trainer was. Trainer’s School was just the start – the academy run by Alder in Unova, pushed students to the limits, and only the best would graduate with top marks. “I beat Roxanne and Brock for the Best Rock Trainer of the Year Award for the second time running.”

“There is more to being a gym leader than earning top results, Roark. You are a smart kid, and a skilled trainer, but you do not yet understand what being a gym leader is all about. Riley does, and that’s why I offered him the job.”

Roark snorted. “I will win the next battle and then maybe you’ll realize that I do have what it takes to be a good gym leader!” He hung up on the xtransceiver before his father could get in another word. Parents, he thought bitterly, putting the item back into his pocket. Parents were always finding ways to make their children’s lives miserable.

He turned back to the rocks again and ordered Onix to add another broken rock one to the pile.

.

Route 203 had been filled with quite several trainers and Dawn was relieved she had captured a shinx and a starly before venturing further. Turtwig was growing in strength with every battle, but even he could not hope to win all five matches in a row. She spent at least an hour or two training her new companions until they were strong enough to battle against other trainers. Once all the trainers were defeated, she returned to Jubilife to heal, purchased some much-needed potions, and headed back onto Route 203 again.

Her journey through Route 203 was much easier this time. It didn’t take her too long to reach the end where she found herself looking at another gatehouse, except this was built inside a mountain. She was about to enter when Barry burst through the cave entrance. “Barry? Why am I not surprised to see you here?”

“Are you ready to battle, Dawn?”

A battle before the cave gatehouse? Barry sure wasn’t making progress easy for her. He had probably been waiting for this moment since his defeat to her a couple of hours ago. She was curious to see how much stronger he had gotten. Had his lessons at Trainer’s School made him a better trainer? “I accept your challenge.”

He grinned. “Go for it, Starly!”

“Go Shinx!”

Shinx and Starly stared at each other, waiting patiently for the order to attack. Barry made the first move, pointing his finger at Shinx. “Starly, use Quick Attack!” The avian jumped into the air, flew around in a circle then swooped, striking the feline on the head. Shinx hissed, and launched a counterattack, by slashing her claws at the bird’s exposed belly.

Starly fell to the ground, wincing from the pain caused by the claws. “Okay Shinx, use Tackle!” Shinx leapt into action, pouncing on the avian, pinning the bird to the ground. The bird struggled to free itself, but the feline held it firmly in place.

“Starly, counterattack!” Despite being on the ground, the bird managed to strike back, kicking its talons in the feline’s face. Shinx hissed again, reared on her claws, and swatted at the air aimlessly. Starly managed to wriggle free while Shinx regained her composure.

“Use Tackle again, Shinx!” The feline pounced again slashing at the avian’s face. This time, the attack did enough damage to cause the bird to faint. Starly lay on its back, talons held up high, its eyes rolled back in its head. _Another victory for my team,_ thought Dawn. _But Chimchar will be tougher to take down._

“Not bad, but I’m not going to let you win this one! You won’t make it pass me until you win!” Barry exclaimed, retrieving his fainted Starly. He threw out his other pokéball. “Go Chimchar!”

Dawn knew using Turtwig would result in a difficult battle since the monkey had a massive type-advantage. She was going to have to rely on Starly and Shinx to win this one and hoped they were strong enough to withstand the monkey’s attacks. “Shinx, use Tackle!”

“Chimchar, use Ember!” The monkey conjured a fire ball in hired right hand and hurled it forward. The ball hit Shinx in the face, causing the feline to stumble backwards, her eyes hurting from the flame. Still, Shinx tried to be strong and attempted to strike back, but her temporary blindness made it difficult. Chimchar attacked again and before Dawn knew what was happening, Shinx collapsed.

She gritted her teeth and returned Shinx to her pokéball. It was up to Starly now. “Go, Starly!” The avian popped out of her pokéball and hovered in the sky, watching Chimchar with weary eyes. “Use Quick Attack!”

“Chimar, use Ember!” The monkey hurled another fireball, but Starly was quick enough to narrowly avoid it by an inch. The bird brought her talons forward and raked the monkey in the face. Chimchar staggered backwards from the impact, temporarily leaving himself exposed.

“Use Quick Attack again, Starly!” Quick Attack was best used in moments like these – it wasn’t a move that dealt a great deal of damage, but it could be the difference between winning and losing. Chimchar was struck once again, but the monkey was stronger than it looked, although Dawn could see signs of exhaustion appearing on his face.

“Chimchar, use Ember again!” Chimchar threw yet another fireball and this one managed to bring Starly down to the ground. The bird rolled around from side to side, trying to shake the flames off her body. While Starly was preoccupied with putting the flames out, Chimchar attacked, clawing the avian.

“Don’t let him beat you, Starly! We’re so close! Use Tackle!” Unfortunately, the bird had used up so much energy in putting out the flames that she could barely climb to her feet from exhaustion. Starly lay on the ground, breathing heavily and Dawn knew the fighting spirit had left the bird. She returned Starly to her ball. She glanced down at Turtwig. “It’s up to you.” Turtwig nodded and moved forward.

“Use Ember!”

“Endure the flames, Turtwig!”

The fireball landed on Turtwig’s back, enveloping the pokémon in fire. Turtwig released a pained cry, the leaf on his back covered in flames. Dawn could only look on in horror, hoping she hadn’t made a mistake of relying on Turtwig to win the battle. She regretted not catching any other wild pokémon. The flames died down and surprisingly, Turtwig was still standing. He was black now, and his leaf atop his head gone, but the creature intended to carry on fighting.

“Turtwig, use Tackle!” The burned Turtwig rushed forward and rammed into the monkey’s side. Chimchar was a light-weight pokémon and was easily toppled over by the much heavier Turtwig. Turtwig sat on Chimchar, using his entire weight to keep the fire monkey pinned down. The monkey’s limbs flailed in all directions as it struggled to escape, but Turtwig would not budge.

Chimchar couldn’t use Ember at such a close range so the monkey was limited to using Scratch only. He clawed Turtwig, but the tortoise’s body was hard to penetrate, rendering the Chimchar’s move as useless. “Oh, darn!” Barry exclaimed. Chimchar’s energy was fading rapidly until the monkey could no longer fight.

“We did it!” Dawn exclaimed, throwing a fist into the air.

Barry retrieved Chimchar. “What do you mean I lost again? Well, that’s it! That’s the last time I’ll ever lose! I’m going to be the world’s toughest trainer, and you know it! The first thing to do is take on the Oreburgh City pokémon Gym! I’m gonna toughen up for that, totally!” Barry rushed away before Dawn could offer some advice.

“Well, I guess it’s time to head on through to Oreburgh City.”

She stepped through the cave and was greeted immediately by a hiker standing at the entrance. He was red in the face and sweating profusely, looking as if he had just run a marathon. “You look like a tough trainer! By that determined look on your face, I suspect you’re going to take on the gym leader.”

Dawn nodded. “Yup, you’re right. Uh, how do I reach Oreburgh?”

The hiker nodded. “Keep heading east. You’ll come across two campsites, but the trainers aren’t here now. Come back in a day or two and you’ll be able to challenge them to a battle.”

“Okay, thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

The walk to the opposite site was thankfully a short one. Her legs were growing weary now. Sitting down for a couple of hours and having a meal was growing on her priority list. She exited the cave, immediately setting foot on a sandy path. Oreburgh was quite different from Jubilife – Jubilife was modern, with big fancy buildings and streets made of gravel, but Oreburgh was a simple mining place. There were no roads or any fancy modern buildings in this town. It lacked both colour and life. Aside from the usual pokémon centre and pokémart, there were only two places of importance – the gym, which was designed to look like a gigantic boulder, and the mining museum.

She headed down the path when a strong gust of wind blew past her, hurling sand grains into her eyes. Now she was covered in sand. With tears glistening down her cheeks, she hurried into the pokémon centre and shook herself, removing the grains from her clothing. Not all of them had been removed - some stubbornly stuck to clothes.

“You might want to put on a hiker’s outfit on to withstand the elements here,” a voice said. Dawn turned her head and spotted a young blonde lady dressed all in black, sitting by herself on the couch in the far eastern corner. What was a woman like that doing in a place like this? “You can borrow one while you are here in this town. There’s a changing room just to the right of the counter.” She pointed to a clothes rack. Dawn spotted a thick jacket and some pants hanging.

“Thanks,” Dawn said.

The woman smiled and said no more. She stood up and left while Dawn helped herself to the clothing items. Cradling the clothes, she made her way towards the changing room and changed out of her clothes and into her new ones. The hiking clothes didn’t fit her physique. It seemed designed for a male instead, but it was only temporary. Before leaving the building, she took the opportunity to heal her pokémon while she placed her old clothes into her bag. It took a few minutes for her pokémon to be restored to peak health. All she had to do was hand over her pokéballs and the woman would place them in a special machine with a glass dome.

Dawn thanked the nurse and headed outside and came face-to-face with the blonde lady from before. Leaning against the wall, she lifted her head up and gave Dawn a warm smile, then gestured to the gym, opposite to the pokémon centre. “The gym leader isn’t home right now, but you can visit him down at the Oreburgh Mines. You can find the entrance to the south-east. Take care.” The mysterious lady walked away. Dawn followed her instructions and made her way to the south eastern corner. A sign reading, ‘Oreburgh Mines’ was stationed a couple of metres away from the entrance.

Dawn flipped her hair over her shoulder and headed towards the mines. It took her a few minutes to reach the entrance, since it was only a couple of metres away from the pokémon centre. The air was stuffy, and it had a stench she couldn’t quite explain in proper words. Being outside had been bad enough with the blowing sand, but this was worse. She felt dirty just by standing here. Thank Arceus for the miner’s clothes otherwise her usual clothes would be covered in sand.

Fortunately, the road to the end of the mines was a short one and populated with various wild pokémon. She had caught a machop immediately after entering the mines. She recalled a show about type advantages and type disadvantages. A wise trainer made use of these moves. Fighting-type pokémon were strong against rock-types. Considering this was a mining town, it didn’t take a scientist to know the gym leader specialized in rock-types. 

She found the gym leader (or at least suspected it was him since he dressed differently from the other miners) standing in front of a wall, smashing rocks with a giant serpent rock-like pokémon behind him. The pokémon was smashing the rocks with such intensity, the ground was shaking. Dawn wasn’t sure whether she should approach him or not. He seemed agitated, judging by the scowl on his face. “Erm, hello?”

He jumped, startled by her voice. His expression softened. “Oh, hello.”

“What were you doing to those rocks?”

He turned to the shattered rocks briefly then turned back to her. “Smashing them.”

“It looks like a lot of fun.”

He gave her a half-smile. “It’s a good way to vent, but I’m sure you didn’t come all this way to do just that. I could show you the best way method to smash boulders, but I won’t share my tips unless you beat the gym leader first. That would be me! I’ll see you at the gym. I hope you are ready trainer because I’m not easily beaten. I haven’t been defeated in months and I don’t intend to let another rookie obtain the badge so easily.”

He returned his pokémon to its ball and made his way back to the entrance, leaving Dawn feeling dumbfounded. The gym leader seemed like a real jerk. Was he as tough as he acted though or was it just all talk? Only one way to find out. She exited the mines and made her way over to the gym which fortunately was easy to spot. It was built out of rocks, fitting in quite nicely with the overall feel of the city. Taking in a deep breath, she entered the gym.

.

Upon entering, she was startled by a funny man dressed in mismatched brown striped clothes. He had a furry brown moustache and wore thick, black-rimmed sunglasses which struck Dawn as strange since they were inside a building. He even wore brown shoes and brown socks to go with his overall, brown-themed appearance. Had he purposely dressed this way to match the overall theme of the gym, or was he just the type of person who enjoyed wearing brown clothing?

“Hello trainer! I haven’t seen your face before so I would be correct in assuming you are new? Well, in that case allow me to introduce myself! I’m Malcolm, the gym advisor of Sinnoh – my twin brother is the advisor in Johto. It’s our job to make the lives of challengers that much easier by telling them all there is to know about the upcoming gym battles.”

“I’m Dawn.”

“Who is the trainer in your family if you don’t mind me asking? It’s always interesting to know where the trainer gene comes from.” He chuckled lightly. Dawn frowned. “Did you know that a lot of trainers come from families with no competitive battling experience? The last kid who came here came from a family of breeders.”

“My father is a trainer.” Whether he was a good or a bad one, Dawn didn’t know. Her mother hadn’t said too much about it and Dawn had never said.

“That’s great news, Dawn! It makes me so happy that I’m going to throw in an extra tip for you. The home city of a gym usually represents the type of pokémon you used, so make sure you pay extra attention to your surroundings because it will make the gym battle much easier,” he chirped, giving Dawn a big smile. The guy either really loved his job or he was an excellent actor. Either that or he just liked smiling.

Dawn nodded. His words made sense. “How does a gym battle work?”

“Gyms are designed in a way to test the challenger. Finding your way to the end of the gym is a challenge since each one is specifically designed to test the strength of the trainer. You see, gym battles aren’t just about the pokémon, it’s about the mental and physical strength of the master.”

She nodded again. Although he dressed in a bizarre manner, the man certainly knew his topic well. She wondered how many times he had given this speech. “Please, tell me more.”

He readjusted his sunglasses. “You’ll have to fight your way through the puzzle – there’ll usually be a couple of trainers hiding in the gym to weaken your pokémon before the real fight. They shouldn’t pose too much of a problem though since the pokémon they use are weaker than the gym leaders. Some of the trainers can be avoided, but I’d strongly suggest battling them for the bonus experience.”

“Anything else?”

“Trainers may not intervene in the match unless it is absolutely necessary. You can give your pokémon a healing potion during the battle, but there’s a limit. You’re restricted to five healing items. You can use as many status-healing items as you want, but you’ll be sacrificing a turn if you do. Gym leaders can only use one healing item. It’s better to ensure your pokémon are strong enough to handle battles without having to heal – it gets pretty expensive if you’re always purchasing healing items.”

“Okay.”

“If your pokémon should find itself in a position it can’t easily get out of, you may not help. You must either call your pokémon back or let it faint. Those are the rules of a gym battle.”

Sounded fair enough, but a little harsh. “Do you have any more advice?”

He looked thoughtful then shook his head. “Never give up! A pokémon always has a weakness! You just must find it and exploit it! Other than that, good luck Dawn! I hope to see a big smile on your face when you exit this gym!”

She stepped off the red carpet and made her way pass two pokémon statues she didn’t recognize.

Despite how big it looked from the outside the gym’s interior was small. She could already see the opposite end quite clearly and the paths leading to it. The gym was built on a gentle man-made slope – Roark was standing on the peak, while the gym trainers were on the lower levels in between columns of rock. One was standing on the middle and the other on ground level. Both trainers could be avoided but she wanted to fight them. Besides, she needed all the experience she could get if she wanted to become the next Champion of Sinnoh.

She approached the first trainer. There was a nametag on his clothes, and it read in big bold letters, ‘Jonathan.’ He looked at her now after turning his blue cap backwards. “Don’t think this battle is going to be easy just because I’m the first trainer!”

“I’m ready.”

He smirked. Dawn noticed he only had one pokéball attached to his pokébelt. “Go Geodude!” A grey boulder pokémon, with bulging, rocky eyebrows appeared from the ball. Trapezoidal brown eyes stared at her, as the creature punched the air with its muscular five-fingered hands.

Dawn pulled out her pokédex to obtain information.

_Geodude. At rest, it looks just like a rock. Carelessly stepping on it will make it swing its fists angrily._

She made a mental note to herself to always look before she stepped to make sure she didn’t accidentally step on one. “Go Turtwig!” grass-types were strong against rock-types as well. This battle should be an easy one, she thought.

Turtwig rushed forward immediately eager to jump into the fray. Although the turtle had been healed, the leaf on his head had not returned. Her poor Turtwig was a leafless one and she hoped it did not make it difficult to learn certain moves in the future. She could only hope he grew a new one in due time. Perhaps with more experience he’d grow a new leaf. Could he still use leaf-based attacks? It didn’t matter now though since he wasn’t experienced enough to use Razor Leaf, but he had learned the move Absorb.

“What’s wrong with your Turtwig? Did he get his leaf burned off?” Jonathan teased. Dawn suppressed a growl. She’d let Turtwig teach the boy a lesson. “Geodude, use Tackle!”

“Use Absorb!”

Tortoises were naturally slow creatures, but rock animals were even slower, so Turtwig moved first. Turtwig closed his eyes, and vibrated, until little glowing balls of yellow emerged from underneath his shell. The balls moved towards Geodude, throwing themselves at its rock-hard armour, sucking the life force out of it. The balls returned to Turtwig, hiding back underneath his shell. A faint earthly glow radiated from his shell. Somehow, he looked stronger and more confident.

Geodude, on the other hand, had fainted. Whatever the move had achieved, it had been super-effective. Dawn looked at her pokédex again for information. Absorb was a grass-type move that drained an opponent of health. She put it away again. That explained the easy victory. “Well done, Turtwig!” At this rate, this gym was going to be super easy. Barry was probably going to find it a difficult battle though since he had selected Chimchar as his starter.

Dawn moved passed the disappointed trainer and made her way up a staircase to find the next one. This boy dressed the same way as the previous one did, and he too wore his cap backwards. His name was Darius and he had two pokéballs attached to his belt. “I see you made it past Jonathan. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but your journey ends here! Go, Geodude!”

Another one? Hadn’t the trainer been watching her battle with his friend? This wasn’t going to be a eeodude gym right? “You can do this, Turtwig!” Turtwig nodded, lunging forward, preparing himself for another battle. Darius’s Geodude used Tackle but like the previous battle, Turtwig was faster and therefore was able to attack before the other could land theirs.

Turtwig used Absorb again. Geodude fainted, dropping to the ground, making the ground around it shake slightly. “Hmph, I see you’ve come prepared then. This next pokémon won’t be so easy though. Go, Onix!”

The same pokémon Dawn had seen earlier in the mines stood before her now. It towered over her, black eyes peering down at her minuscule form. Size wasn’t going to intimidate her though; she had a turtwig on her side. She pulled out her pokédex again to obtain more information for Rowan’s research.

_Onix. It burrows through the ground at a speed of fifty miles per hour while feeding on large boulders._

She put it away again. “Use Absorb, Turtwig!”

“Onix, use Tackle!”

Surprisingly, the giant rock creature moved first. Onix charged downwards in Turtwig’s direction and succeeded, sending the small tortoise flying. Turtwig hit the eastern wall hard, crumbling to the ground, landing on his belly. The tortoise picked himself back up, although he stood on shaky legs. Dawn winced. Now it was starting to get tougher, but the battle wasn’t over yet. She had Absorb.

Turtwig used Absorb, draining Onix’s health. The glowing balls seemed to restore Turtwig’s own health because the grazes he had received had disappeared. Onix fell to the ground in a heap, its eyes rolled back into its head. Another victory for Turtwig.

“Oh no… I lost…” Darius said, falling to his knees.

Dawn moved past him and made her way up the final flight of stairs. Roark’s arms were crossed over his chest, lips pressed into a thin line, brows furrowed. Was he worried?

“Allow me to formally introduce myself before we commence battle. I’m Roark, the gym leader! I’m but one trainer who decided to walk proudly with rock-type pokémon! As the gym leader, I need to see your potential as a trainer, and I’ll need to see the toughness of the pokémon that battle with you! You may have a type-advantage, but don’t let that make you think you’ve won this match.” He had three pokéballs attached to his pokébelt.

“Are you ready, Turtwig? Let’s show him what we can do!”

Roark summoned his first pokémon. Not surprisingly, a geodude appeared. He probably had an onix as well. She wondered what the third one was. Another geodude? Another onix? “Geodude, Rock Throw!” Geodude punched the ground, and scooped up some mud, rolling it around until it was a ball. It hurled the mud ball at Turtwig. Turtwig failed to dodge it and was hit in the face. Turtwig winced.

“Turtwig, use Absorb!”

The same strategy had worked extremely well on the last two geodudes so naturally it ought to work well on this one as well. As she had predicted, Turtwig’s Absorb brought the geodude to a fainting state almost immediately. Roark wasn’t upset by the quick loss; he was grinning. Why did he look so pleased? _He was losing badly,_ thought Dawn.

“Not bad, but you’re not the only trainer who has got something to prove.” He retrieved his geodude and threw out his next one. “Onix!”

 _Not another one,_ Dawn thought. Oh well, another easy round for me. “Turtwig, use Absorb again!” It wasn’t like she had any other attacks to use against the rock-type pokémon. Tackle would do little damage against their armour.

“Onix, use Rock Throw!” Onix swung at the ground with his tail, sending balls of mud flying at Turtwig. Turtwig failed to avoid the move and was struck in the side. He toppled over onto his side, and wriggled his legs in the air, to roll himself back over. Dawn felt tempted to run over and push him onto his feet but that was a forbidden. All she could do was call him back and reuse him later if needed. She decided to test out her newly captured friend, machop.

Machop knew two moves. Low Kick and Leer. “Machop, use Low Kick!”

Machop charged, jumped into the air, landing on the onix’s back. He kicked Onix on the back of his head hard enough to prompt Onix to sway from side to side. Despite her initial hesitance in catching Machop, she was relieved she had caught one since his attack did significant damage against Onix. Onix fell to the ground and Machop leaped off to avoid being taken down with it. Only one pokémon remained.

“Think you can take down my last pokémon like you did to my previous two? Here’s a warning, it won’t be easy. Cranidos!” He threw out his final pokéball. A bipedal dinosaur-like creature appeared. Its underbelly scales were grey, while the scales on his back were blue. Cranidos had a dome-shaped head, which reminded Dawn of an egg. His tail was quite short, but muscular. Dawn consulted her pokédex.

_Cranidos. A lifelong jungle dweller from one hundred million years ago, it would snap obstructing trees with headbutts._

She put the pokédex away. Cranidos was obviously Roark’s mascot pokémon since he saved it for last. This was the true battle. Could her pokémon win her the match or was she going to fail despite having a type-advantage? Only one way to find out.

“Cranidos, use Headbutt!”

Cranidos charged forward, ramming his head into Machop. Machop was driven into the eastern wall, so roughly, a crack had been made. Cranidos took a few steps back, looking slightly shaky after using the attack. Machop fell onto the ground, face first, but fortunately the pokémon picked himself up again. The fighting spirit hadn’t been dimmed.

“Use Low Kick!”

Machop took a running leap, and jumped into the air, kicking the dinosaur in the face. Cranidos staggered backwards, and shook his head violently, as if trying to remove something off his head. He recovered and charged again, using another Headbutt. Machop was driven into the wall once more, once again having the wind knocked out of him. Still, he remained on his feet, standing on shaky legs.

Roark rushed over to Cranidos and gave it a potion, but Dawn decided to risk it by not using one. A pokémon couldn’t attack immediately after having its health restored so Dawn had a chance to attack first this time. “Use Low Kick again, Machop!” Machop repeated the same move and kicked Cranidos in the head. Cranidos staggered backwards.

“No way! Not yet! Not giving up!” Roark exclaimed. Cranidos was panting now, looking rather sore. Continuous head rams surely couldn’t be good for long-term battling.

“Just hang in there, Machop!”

“Use Headbutt, Cranidos!”

Cranidos lowered his head again, and charged, ramming into Machop. His attack seemed less intense than the previous Headbutt – Cranidos almost tripped over his own two legs after using it. Machop unfortunately, couldn’t withstand another one and fainted. She recalled Machop and sent out Turtwig again. Cranidos was tiring quickly. Headbutt hit hard, but strong attacks were draining.

“Finish this, Turtwig! Use Absorb!”

The glowing balls clung to Cranidos, draining him of his last remaining energy reserves. He flopped to the ground. “W-what? That can’t be! My buffed-up pokémon!” Roark wailed.

Dawn threw a fist into the air. “We won! I can’t believe we actually won our first badge!” she cheered, running over to scoop up Turtwig into her arms. Turtwig rubbed his face affectionately against Dawn’s.

Roark sighed. “This is embarrassing… I went and lost to a trainer who didn’t have a single gym badge… but that’s tough. I guess my father was right… I still have much to learn about being a gym leader… You were strong and I was weak. That’s all there is.” He recalled his fainted pokémon and walked over to stand directly in front of Dawn. “According to pokémon league rules, I must give you our gym badge since you’ve beaten me, the leader. Here’s your official pokémon League Coal Badge.”

The Coal Badge was a simplistic item shaped like a mushroom, but designed to bear resemblance to a pokéball, only it was coloured brown and steel blue, instead of red, black, and white. She put the badge into her bag and made a mental note to purchase a badge box the next time she visited the pokémart. “Thanks!”

“In this region of Sinnoh, there are seven other gym leaders. I should warn you – they’re a lot tougher than I am!” Dawn turned to exit but Roark spoke again. “You’ll be able to trade your pokémon for new ones now. Just visit the pokémon Centre and head down to the basement. By the way, what is your name? I’d like to have a rematch against you when we’re both stronger.”

“I’m Dawn.”

Roark pulled out his contact card and handed it to Dawn. “Give me a call when you are ready. You’ve taught me something valuable today Dawn. I won’t forget you. Good luck, your remaining gyms will be far more challenging than this. Choose your pokémon wisely and you’ll go far.” He waved her goodbye.

She made her way back to the entrance where the gym advisor stood. He winked. “I knew it. I knew you’d win. My tips did help you, didn’t they?”

“Yes, they did.”

She left the building as the gym advisor continued to gush over her win. Healing up her pokémon was now her main priority so she headed back to the pokémon centre.

.

Trading pokémon was a simple process. All she had to do was select a computer, enter her trainer card details and log into the server. After logging in, she was taken to a list of names and the pokémon they were offering to trade. She sorted the list by their type, finding that filter easier to navigate.

A boy named Silver from Johto was offering up a newly caught gastly for trade. He didn’t care what he received in return since he stated he planned on trading it for something else anyway. Dawn didn’t like the vibe the boy was emitting, but a gastly looked to be a promising addition to her team. The kids in her town feared ghosts, and often shared stories about them around the fire, but Dawn wasn’t afraid of them. She hovered the cursor over his name and clicked.

“Would you like to make a trade with Silver?” the message read.

Dawn clicked yes. A new pop-up window appeared.

“What pokémon would you like to offer? Please place the ball in the slot machine.”

Since Silver didn’t care what pokémon he received, Dawn didn’t have to be selective. She placed Starly in the pokémon slot machine and waited for Silver’s response. A few moments later, the slot machine switched on and made a gentle whirring noise. Her pokéball was sucked into the machine like a vacuum cleaner, replaced seconds later with a new pokéball. There was a message attached to it.

It read, ‘This gastly won’t listen. Good luck trying to train it… if you can, chump.’

She couldn’t hear his voice, but the tone of his words suggested hostility. He probably thought she was some weakling incapable of raising a pokémon. Dawn attached the ball to her pokébelt and returned her attention to the machine. She still had two other pokémon she wanted to trade. Parting with them sad unfortunate, but at least they were local and easily obtainable, if she decided she wanted them again. Catching her own pokémon to raise was exciting but earning the love of a pokémon abandoned from another one was more appealing.

She searched through the menu again hovering her cursor over a woman called Karen. “Isn’t she an elite four member from the Indigo League?” Dawn said aloud. It was strange seeing a pokémon offered up by an elite four member. The lady was a dark-type specialist and she was offering a newly hatched murkrow for trade.

“My murkrow has been laying eggs and I decided to offer them up for a trade,” read the message on the screen. “I’ll take any pokémon you have to offer.” _She was probably going to trade them with someone else like Silver planned too_ , she thought. This time, she offered Shinx. Moments later, she received Murkrow. As with the gastly, there was a message with it.

This one read, “Murkrow will only evolve when exposed to a Dusk Stone. Do take care of him!”

She attached the murkrow to her belt and searched for her final traded pokémon. So far, she had a grass-type, a ghost-type, and a dark and flying-type fusion on her team. There were so many other types available to her that it was difficult to choose which one to take. She scanned the list, searching for something that appealed to her. Her eyes rested on a baby dragon called Deino, which was being offered up by a man called Ghetsis.

She looked at his avatar. He was sneering in the picture. Another Silver? “I wonder why you are offering a deino up for a trade…” She had heard little about the dragon thanks to the wonders of television. Deino were native to Unova and considered hard to find and difficult to train due to their temperament and typing. It was a dark dragon-type. She didn’t really need another dark-type on her team, but she wanted the dragon since dragons were powerful. Besides, the challenge of raising one would make her a better trainer in the long run.

“Who is brave enough to take responsibility for this deino? I have already raised one to his final evolution – can you handle it? Only a trainer with a liking for the dark can tame this mighty dragon. I’ll accept any of your weakling pokémon and I will make them strong. Your pokémon will be in good hands, heh heh heh.” She could almost imagine the man cackling like person possessed on the other end.

The man sounded a little unstable, but Deino was a typing she wanted. She offered her machop for the trade. Seconds later, she received Deino. As with the previous two pokémon, this one had a message attached to it.

“Embrace the darkness.”

 _Weird man,_ Dawn thought. She hoped Machop was truly in good hands otherwise she’d feel like guilty for parting with him, especially since he aided her in obtaining her first badge. She attacked Deino to her pokébelt and logged out of the server and exited the building. “Where to next?” she wondered aloud then remembered she had to change back into her old clothes.

“I guess I’ll just ask around… I should’ve said Roark…”


	5. One Step Closer

The return journey from Twinleaf Town to Veilstone City had taken a little longer than Cyrus had assumed. As soon as he set foot before the entrance of the building, he was swarmed by his four loyal commanders. They looked at him as a young child looked at their parent, their eyes full of adoration and respect, patiently waiting for their next order. A lady with bright red hair stepped forward first.

“Boss! Where have you been? I was so worried about you! I thought you may have run into trouble along the way or something!” Her name was Mars and she was the youngest of his commanders, having recently turned twenty. She loved her boss wholeheartedly and would do anything to earn his respect, even if it meant placing her own life in danger.

He looked at Mars, giving her a vacant look. “I’m fine.”

A male with a deep shade of blue hair stepped forward too. “Where’d you go anyway, boss? It’s not like you to just get up and leave without telling us first!” His name was Saturn, and like Mars, he was willing to carry out any order Cyrus gave. He was only two years older than Mars, making him the second youngest in the team of commanders. The trio looked at him with expectant looks.

The commanders weren’t going to move out of the way without getting an answer first. Cyrus could easily push them out of the way, but they would only follow him around until he gave in. They idolized him so much they just had to know every single detail of his day to day activities, even if they had to annoy him in the process. So why not fire them and recruit new commanders? The commanders had sworn an oath to serve him until death… or until he freed them from their oaths. Besides, firing them would mean wasting more time in training new recruits and that cost money and time.

He sighed. “If you must know, I went fishing down at Lake Verity.” The commanders were loyal to him, but it didn’t mean he had to express the same loyalty towards them. They were so foolish that they believed every word he said. Of course, every word he said was a lie, but the commanders weren’t aware of that yet. They were blinded by their love for him.

“Fishing? I didn’t think you were into fishing, boss,” Saturn said, frowning.

“You know, my father used to take me fishing when I was young. We could go fishing together sometime!” Mars stated. “My purugly is really good at catching fish! So, did you catch anything?”

So foolish, so gullible. Sometimes Cyrus wondered why he had bothered to hire these idiots, but then he remembered they were the only ones who passed the tests to earn a place. The rest of the grunts were so stupid most of them couldn’t even read yet. They were just there to do the dirty work. “No.” Mesprit had chosen not to reveal itself, but Cyrus knew it was down there somewhere, lurking at the bottom of the lake. He needed to capture the legendary – something so powerful could help him achieve his goals, but a few things needed to be dealt with first before he reached that level.

Mars frowned. “That’s a shame boss. Maybe next time you’ll catch something?”

Meaningless conversation. His patience was beginning to wear thin. “Perhaps.” He paused briefly then spoke again, turning to address Mars first. “I have tasks that need to be carried out. Mars, you will be stationed at the Valley Windworks to harness the energy needed for our vision to become a reality.”

Mars nodded, satisfied. “You can count on me, boss.”

He wasn’t too sure about that, but Mars knew the layout of the Valley Windworks better than anyone else in his company since she came from Floaroma Town. He turned to Jupiter, the other female in his leadership team. “Jupiter, you will be stationed at our base in Eterna City.”

Jupiter frowned. “Great. So, I’m on guard duty then. Why do I never get the fun jobs?” she complained.

There was a good reason for that. Jupiter didn’t seem as loyal towards him as the other commanders did, so Cyrus punished her by giving her the least exciting jobs. “Your job is to draw attention away from the rest of your commander’s dealings so they can carry out their tasks without disruption from the authorities. I would prefer not to have to deal with Sinnoh’s gym leaders and the Champion herself. Do what you must.”

“I can do anything then?”

“Yes.”

She smiled. “I’ll take a fair portion of the grunts before I go.”

“What about me, boss?” Saturn said.

“You will be heading to Pastoria City to lead a group of grunts to take over the nearby lake. Do not cause trouble until I give you the word, is that understood, Saturn?”

Saturn nodded. “Yes, boss.”

Cyrus turned to the final commander. Charon was the eldest member of the group and well into his sixties already, but he was also the most junior member of the group, having only been a member for less than a year. “You will accompany Mars on your first mission. Think of this as an introductory session to your role as a commander. Do not attempt to take control from Mars – this is her job, not yours. You will learn to stand alone when the time is right.”

The old man nodded. “I will not disappoint.”

Sometimes Cyrus didn’t trust the man. He seemed to have his own agenda, but whenever Cyrus inquired, the man simply said he wanted to learn more about Rotom. For now, the man had his uses – he had a brilliant technical mind and could solve problems not even Cyrus himself could. He did not want the man unsupervised. Mars seemed displeased with the arranged partnership (since the original trio didn’t like the man at all), but there was nothing she could do about it.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Get to work,” Cyrus ordered.

.

Re-entering the gates of Jubilife City brought her a great sense of relief. The air was clean here and she didn’t have to worry about getting attacked by grains of sand every second. Everything was much cleaner here and far more exciting to explore. She noticed the clowns were still around, chasing locals and tourists alike to take the quiz.

Dawn shook her head, an amused smile on her face. The clowns were certainly determined, but surely it must be hot and stuffy inside those costumes? The miner’s clothes were bad enough, but she couldn’t even begin to imagine how uncomfortable it must be to wear a clown costume. She continued walking along the streets, this time heading in a northerly direction.

“…Give that back! It’s not yours!”

“Finders keepers!”

The unmistakable sounds of a fight brewing caught her attention. Dawn rushed towards the source of the noise and was surprised to see Professor Rowan and Lucas standing across from two funny grunts with horrible bowl haircuts. They were dressed in such strange costumes. Dawn wasn’t sure if this was a staged act. Perhaps they were hired performers?

“Professor Rowan? Lucas? What’s going on here?” she said, approaching the two males cautiously, keeping her eyes trained on the two people wearing funny clothes. They looked like astronauts almost… with terrible haircuts. Whoever had designed their uniforms had a poor taste in fashion. Her mother would have a heart attack if she were here now since the woman had love for all things fashion.

“Ah, Dawn! You’re just in time!” Professor Rowan exclaimed.

“I won my first badge!”

He smiled warmly. “Well done, Dawn. I knew you could do it.”

“Hey! Stop talking old man! You better tell us what this journal is about otherwise we’ll tear it in half!” the first grunt said. He held up a brown journal before his face, threatening to destroy the book in two.

Professor Rowan wagged a finger in their faces. “Quiet, you lot! Why must you be such a nuisance? Let me list some lessons you still need to learn. One, don’t loiter around for no good reason. Two, don’t interrupt others while they are attempting to converse. Three, if you don’t get your way, don’t raise your voice to be intimidating. Four, don’t think you’ve grown strong just because you’re in a group. Five, what is with those outlandish outfits you have on? My goodness… You call yourselves adults?” He turned back to Dawn and Lucas. “You kids, don’t grow up to be like these sorry specimens.”

The grunt holding the journal frowned. “He’s not taking us seriously! You’re the one that needs to be taught a lesson, old man!”

His companion stepped forward his fingers clasped around a pokéball. “We’re from Team Galactic and we only listen to the boss! Get ready for a battle, old man, we’re bringing you down!” the second one crowed.

“You kids give these thugs a lesson in civility, please,” the professor said, taking a few steps back from the fight.

Lucas looked at Dawn. “Are you sure you handle this?”

Dawn hated the way the boy looked at her as if she were some incompetent trainer. He might have been a trainer for longer than she had, but it didn’t mean he had to be so rude. “Of course, I am.” Turtwig was the logical choice, but she wanted to train up her new friends. They had yet had a chance to battle.

The grunts sent forth a pokémon each. One was a purple coloured skunk and the other a type of feline. Dawn consulted her pokédex for additional information. She aimed it in the direction of the skunk first.

_Stunky. It sprays a foul fluid from its rear. Its stench spreads over a mile radius, driving pokémon away._

_Gross,_ thought Dawn. She hoped the creature didn’t spray anything during the battle. Turning the pokédex again, she faced it towards the next pokémon.

_Glameow. It hides its spiteful tendency of hooking its claws into the nose of its trainer if it isn’t fed._

Another nasty pokémon. The grunts had a taste in pokémon equally bad as their fashion sense.

“Go, Piplup!” Lucas said, throwing out his only pokéball. A blue baby penguin appeared.

Dawn reached for her first pokémon and hurled it out onto the ground. Murkrow flew around in circles cawing loudly. This was Murkrow’s first battle. Would the bird listen to her? She looked at the bird, trying to show no signs of nervousness. The bird seemed to be listening now, but it was a new pokémon. “Murkrow, use Pursuit!” The small avian conjured a small orb of dark energy and sent it forth. The ball hit the Glameow, but the cat didn’t seem that troubled by it.

“Piplup, use Bubble!” Lucas’s penguin blew a few bubbles from its mouth, which formed together to create a much larger bubble. It moved towards Stunky, popping when it contacted the skunk’s face. The skunk winced, as water splashed into its eyes.

“Stunky, use Fury Swipes!”

“Glameow, use Scratch!”

The cat attacked first, pouncing on Piplup, slashing the penguin in the face. Piplup staggered backwards, almost falling over in the process. Stunky attacked soon afterwards, running around in circles around Piplup, stopping every couple of seconds to swipe a claw at its face. Piplup was overwhelmed by the combined force, but somehow managed to stay on its feet.

“Murkrow, use Peck!” Murkrow swooped down towards Stunky, striking the skunk on its head. Stunky winced, turned around and stuck up its tail, emitting a foul-smelling gas from its rear end. Dawn brought a hand to her stomach, feeling a sudden queasiness overcome her mind. The stench reminded her of the time she accidentally dropped a rotten egg on the ground while playing a game of ‘egg and spoon’ with the neighbours. “Oh my… that is so… bad…” she gagged, lurching over, staring at the ground. Her stomach did a somersault. Murkrow looked ready to faint from the overpowering stench.

The grunt snickered. “You think you’re so good because you have a badge? Pah! Tell that to the boss! Gym badges don’t mean a thing to Galactic! The only thing we care about is making the world a better place!” He thrust a finger forward. “We don’t need weaklings like you in our world.”

Before Dawn could argue back, she lurched forward and lost her breakfast all over the spot in front of her. Gross… and totally humiliating. Professor Rowan was probably going to regret having given her a pokémon now. She tried to pick herself back up, but her body refused to obey her. Instead, she remained hunched over, squeezing her eyes shut so she wouldn’t have to look at her breakfast.

“Let’s get out of here before she makes us sick.”

“What about the journal though?”

“What about it? We can’t read. I’m sure the boss already knows all this stuff because he knows everything. We can’t be here for much longer – we were supposed to be buying the boss’s favourite coffee beans from the shop. Come on; let’s get out of here while we have the chance!” The grunts retrieved their pokémon and ran away before anyone could stop them, throwing the journal aside right into… Dawn’s pile of vomit.

Dawn vomited again, this time spilling her stomach contents over her shoes. Not exactly the impression she wanted to leave on Professor Rowan and Lucas. Lucas now had a good reason to despise her for showing weakness during an important battle. It was a good thing the grunts couldn’t read though otherwise she’d feel even worse if they ran off with the book. She still felt bad though since the professor’s hard work was covered in her vomit.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She was aware they were looking at her, probably with hatred and disgust. Bringing her hands to her eyes, she wiped the tears away and ran down the street, heading in no clear direction at all. All she wanted to do was hide her shame from the world. She turned down into a deserted alley and collapsed to the ground in a heap, bringing her knees to her chest as she wept.

.

 _Fool._ The voice had no identifiable face, but Dawn knew the voice. It belonged to her. The voice was mocking her for her stupidity, for her show of weakness, and it continued to mock her. Dawn rocked back and forth, hands covering her ears, wishing the voice would stop tormenting her. “Go away…” she said.

 _You call yourself a trainer? Trainers are strong. You are anything but strong_ , the voice continued to mock. More tears slipped down Dawn’s cheeks, as she struggled to fight off the demon in her head. She reached down and released Turtwig from its pokéball, hoping to silence the monster. Turtwig rubbed his head against Dawn’s legs.

“I’m sorry… I failed you,” Dawn whispered.

Turtwig shook his head.

“I know you are trying to be kind, but I’m not worthy of you.”

Turtwig tilted his head to the right, giving his trainer a puzzled look.

“I failed to beat a thief.”

She wouldn’t be surprised to know there were more Galactic grunts causing trouble across the region. What did they want and why were they causing trouble now? Her mother was probably worried sick about her daughter. No doubt Professor Rowan would inform her mother and tell her it was a mistake entrusting Dawn with a pokémon. He’d explain she wasn’t yet mature enough to handle herself.

“Dawn? Is that you?”

She jerked her head up at the mention of her name. Turning her head to the right, she spotted Lucas frowning at her. For once, he did not look in her direction with disgust, but rather with concern. He walked towards her then sat down. Dawn averted her gaze. “Don’t look at me.” Her face was swollen, her cheeks a shade of red. She looked like a pitiful person right now.

He continued to look at her. He seemed uncomfortable, as if unsure of how to act around a crying girl. Fortunately, for Lucas’s sake, the professor arrived. “Don’t cry, Dawn. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

She peered up. “Nothing to be ashamed of? I lost the battle for us,” she blurted out, a new flood of tears running down her cheeks.

“It was your first battle against a stunky. You handled being gassed better than most people,” the professor pointed out, looking down at Lucas for some support. “I’ve seen a handful of trainers faint on the spot.”

Lucas nodded. “He’s right you know. Every trainer gets gassed by a stunky at one point in their lives. I got gassed once and even the professor did when he was young. He told me all about it after I got gassed,” he explained. “I was playing in the forest with my pokémon and I accidentally stepped on a stunky’s tail. You can imagine how that ended.”

Dawn mustered up a smile. The thought of Lucas, the guy who didn’t seem to like her much at all, getting gassed in the face by a stunky was amusing. She looked to the professor. “What about your journal though? It’s destroyed now.”

He shrugged. “No matter, all the information is stored on my computer. The journal was used for taking down notes, but we can always find a new book. At least the Galactic members couldn’t make use of it. A vomit covered book is of no use to anyone.” He chuckled. He reached down a hand and Dawn took it, helping herself to her feet.

“You shouldn’t be too hard on yourself, Dawn. You are a starting out trainer – do not feel like you shouldn’t express your emotions. It’s not healthy to bury them,” the professor advised. “Feeling is what makes us alive. It allows us to care for other people and our pokémon. If we were unable to feel, there would be no love and no joy in the world. Wouldn’t that be a horrible place to live in? Crying is not a weakness, Dawn.”

Lucas dug a hand into his bag and handed Dawn a couple of tissues. “Use these. It’s better than using your hands.”

Dawn thanked him and dabbed at the tears underneath her eyes. At least the professor wasn’t disappointed in her.

“You’ve handled yourself incredibly well, Dawn. I’m proud of you,” the professor said, beaming a smile in her direction. “Most trainers usually have someone in the family that can advise them on the road to becoming a good trainer, so you’ve done well to make it this far without any experience to fall back on.”

Dawn nodded and wiped away a few more tears. “I wish my father was around to show me the way…” she said softly. “Did you know him?” If anyone knew anything about him, the professor would. He was much older than herself and probably met the guy on a couple of occasions. “My mother won’t say anything.”

There was an awkward silence. Lucas didn’t appear to know anything about Dawn’s parents, but the professor looked like he knew something. She frowned. He tugged at his moustache. “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but you have the right to know.” He looked at her directly. “I know your father… well, at least, I knew him for a while. He left before you were born, Dawn.”

“He’s alive, then?” Her face brightened. Her mother had told her the guy had died. Did she know he was alive? Or had she lied to keep Dawn from learning the truth? But why would she lie? Her mother wasn’t the type.

The professor looked uncomfortable. This obviously wasn’t the discussion he imagined having. He continued to fiddle with his moustache. “You do not need to worry about him, Dawn. Yes, he’s alive, but I do not know where he is. I haven’t seen him since the day he left your mother. It was I who introduced him to your mother… if I had known this was going to happen then I wouldn’t have taken pity on him and…” He stopped suddenly, frowning then shook his head. “Forgive me, it is not my place to speak of this. You should ask your mother sometime.”

“I’m going to find him.”

“You should be focusing on becoming the strongest trainer in the region, Dawn,” Lucas pointed out. “I know you want to find him, but you won’t get very far in the region without strong pokémon.”

True. She needed to become stronger. She wanted to leave a good impression on him so he could be proud of her. “You’re right. I need to strengthen my team.” Had he abandoned her because he was worried that she was going to turn out to be a failure? Or had there be some other reason for it? She scrunched up her soggy tissues and placed them in her bag. “Thanks for everything.”

“Remember my words, Dawn.”

She nodded. “I will, Professor Rowan.”

“You should head to Eterna City next for your next badge. You’ll have to make a stop by Floaroma Town first, but I’m sure you’ll find that place relaxing. You can find directions on your map. If you ever find yourself needing someone to talk to, you know who to call. Good luck, Dawn.”

Lucas didn’t say anything, but he did nod. The two males walked away leaving Dawn on her own. “Are you ready to carry on, Turtwig?” she said, smiling at her friend. Turtwig seemed happier now that his master did and made a happy grunting noise. Dawn chuckled. “I take that as a yes then.”

.

Cyrus had been hoping the rest of his day would feature no interruptions, but he wasn’t always so lucky. Two grunts came bursting through his door, filling the air with their annoying nasally voices. He turned around, glowering, annoyed by the interruption. It wouldn’t be a normal day without someone messing up something. “I hope there is a good reason for your intrusion?”

“Boss! Guess what happened? We ran into some old man and his assistant and we beat them to a pulp!” the first grunt exclaimed, his dark eyes shining with amusement.

“And then this dainty girl showed up and tried to be tough, but she couldn’t handle the stench and vomited all over the place!” The grunts exchanged high-fives. “It was hilarious, boss!”

Cyrus did not share their amusement. So, the grunts had sunk to an all-time low where they harassed old men and made fun of young children. “That was a good way to bring unnecessary attention to themselves. “I did not give you the order to annoy community members. I simply said you to purchase some coffee beans… must I always do everything myself?” he snapped, briefly losing his cool for a moment. He quickly regained his composure though and took in a deep breath.

The amused smirks on the grunts’ faces faded. “We thought you would be pleased… it was Professor Rowan, you know, the famous guy on television?”

Cyrus knew who Professor Rowan was. He was the man who had been responsible for introducing Johanna to him when he was a teenager. It was because of the old man that he had experienced his first taste of-no. Reflecting on the past only invited unpleasant memories to play in his mind. Only the future mattered. “I know who Professor Rowan is. What other news do you have to report?”

“Well, the girl had blue hair.”

Blue hair wasn’t a common colour in this part of the world. Other than himself, he knew only two other people who had the same colour. There was Saturn, but there was no chance he’d be related to this girl. Cyrus had checked to ensure Saturn had no children, nor partner, before recruiting him. That left only one person – Johanna. The woman had mentioned she had a daughter in the previous conversation, the one she didn’t want Cyrus to encounter. “This girl with the blue hair. What can you tell me about her?”

The grunt frowned, puzzled by the request. “She’s a girl. She has a murkrow. I think she’s just started on her journey, so I’d say she’s probably between the ages of ten and twelve.”

Between the ages of ten and twelve… blue hair… just started her trainer’s journey… Wait. At Lake Verity he had crossed paths briefly with a blue-headed girl. She had to be Johanna’s daughter. His daughter. She was the right age and happened to be living near Lake Verity. No one else from the major cities would ever bother visiting since it was in the quieter, less populated part of the region.

“Boss?”

“Leave me.”

The grunts exited the room. The girl was probably on her quest to become the next Champion, and that meant there was bound to be a chance he would run into her again. Most likely, she had obtained her first badge since she had a murkrow and murkrows couldn’t be found in Twinleaf Town nor around that area. The next gym was in Eterna City and there was a good chance he’d meet her there if he left now. Would she become a good trainer? Could she… could she possibly see the world from his point of view and understand the world needed to change? Or would she prove him wrong? He was curious now.

He stood up from his table and left the room. He took a couple of steps towards the staircase when Saturn entered his line of vision. “Boss? Where are you going?”

“Why haven’t you left yet?”

Saturn shrugged. “I was packing my bags.” He tilted his head to the left, furrowing his brows.

The commander was probably going to follow him around if Cyrus didn’t provide him an answer since they were that devoted to him. “I’m going to visit Eterna City. The statues there fascinate me. I want to learn more about them.”

Saturn nodded. “All right then, boss. I hope you find what you’re looking for.” He turned down the stairs and disappeared from his view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like, drop a comment!


	6. Truth and Lies

Mars never liked Charon; the old man could simply not be trusted. He always seemed to have some ulterior motive that didn’t match up with Cyrus’s own, yet the boss seemed to trust him. Cyrus trusted Charon over the original three commanders – Charon was the only one allowed to tinker with the boss’s machines. Mars didn’t trust Charon and neither did Saturn and Jupiter. Of course, she couldn’t tell Cyrus about her suspicions otherwise he’d think she was showing weakness by allowing herself to be overcome by feelings of jealousy.

“You have to do as I say,” Mars said, not even sparing a glance in the man’s direction.

“You don’t like me very much do you.” Charon mused. It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.

Mars forced a dry laugh to leave her throat. “What makes you think that?”

“You refuse to make eye contact with me. You seem uncomfortable being in my presence… You do not express these signs when you’re around Cyrus, and I wonder why that is? Hmm.” He rubbed his chin in mock thought.

Mars’s lips tightened. She had to focus on the job ahead, not get drawn into an argument with Charon. “You’re right. I don’t like you. You shouldn’t even be a commander because you haven’t had to prove yourself,” she said heatedly.

His grin widened. “You shouldn’t allow those petty emotions rule your mind, Mars. Haven’t you listened to a word Cyrus has said?” Charon paused then continued. “Not that I blame you for not listening since he can be a real bore at times.”

No one mocked the boss. Mars halted, turned around, and glared. “You’re not allowed to speak of him that way,” she snapped.

“Your devotion to him is interesting, I must say,” Charon murmured, running his thumb across his lower lip. “Tell me, Mars. Why have you pledged your services to Cyrus? Do you not realize he is just using you? Or perhaps I have mistaken your devotion for admiration, lust maybe? Correct me if I am wrong.”

Mars scowled. “If you think I’m in love with the boss then you’re sadly mistaken.” She turned away. The smirk on the man’s face added to her already agitated state. The man was enjoying this. He wanted to make her squirm. “He saved me. He gave me a chance at a better life,” she said softly after a few moments of silence.

It had been three years ago when Cyrus entered her life. Mars had a couple of weeks grieving for the loss for her parents. Her mother abandoned her, and her father died of an unknown affliction. Perhaps he had died because of a broken heart? She found a way to cope with the pain, but it was only a temporary solution. Digging into the flesh on her wrists was oddly calming. The pain gave her something else to focus on. It became an addiction – pain was something she began to crave.

That’s when he found her, kneeling before his father’s headstone, clutching a bloodied arm to her chest. He approached her in the pouring rain, reached out a hand, and promised to heal her pain if she joined him. Mars had been reluctant at first, but the fear of being alone drove her to accept his offer. She no longer resorted to inflicting pain on herself but chose to unleash it on others instead.

“You don’t even know what his endgame is.”

She glowered. “Do you?”

He smirked. “Of course. He hasn’t shared with me the exact details, but I’ve put the pieces together. I am the one responsible for helping him understand what he needs to do to ensure his foolish plan becomes a reality. The man claims to despise emotions, yet emotion is the very thing that motivates him. Do you not see?” He stepped forward suddenly and grabbed her arm, his grip unrelenting. Mars tried to pry his fingers off, but he would not release. “You are placing trust in the wrong person. You’re a smart girl, Mars.”

“You know nothing about me,” she spat.

He twisted her arm gently, running a finger down the scars on her wrist. “Ah, but I do. You and I are more alike than you think. We are both drawn to pain – there is something beautiful in suffering, isn’t there?” He brought a free hand forward, and cupped her chin with it, gazing deeply into her eyes. A chill raced down her spine. “What is it you truly desire, Mars?”

She looked back into eyes and saw genuine affection, unlike the cold gaze Cyrus had perfected. Was Charon right? Was she wrong to place her trust in Cyrus? Would she find her quality of her life improve if she followed Charon instead? He was older than her, much older, but he wasn’t afraid to feel. “I…”

“Cyrus doesn’t realize how truly special you are, but I do. He will never appreciate you the way you would like him to.” He removed his hand from her chin and placed it over his other hand. “Cyrus will never reach his goal, I assure you. He will fail and he will abandon you when that day comes. But I won’t.”

Mars pulled her arm free. “I swore an oath to serve Cyrus. I’m not ever going to turn my back on him, no matter what the end game is.”

Charon took a step back. “If you insist, but the offer is there for you to take. In time, you will see that I am right and then you’ll be begging for me.” He jerked his head towards the Valley Windworks. It was a large building surrounded by a couple of windmills which generated power for the cities of Sinnoh. “Here we are. Let’s get this over and done with.”

.

The commanders spurred into action and immediately went their separate ways, preparing themselves for their tasks ahead. He was glad to be rid of them for temporarily since it meant he had time to himself. Navigating his way through the crowd of grunts, Cyrus headed towards his private chambers, turning around a corner to reach the staircase when someone crashed into him. He didn’t fall over, but he staggered backwards from the impact.

The grunt, on the other hand, had fallen onto his backside. He glanced up now, his face paling as he recognized who it was staring down at him. “Oh my… I’m so sorry, boss! I didn’t recognize it was you!” the grunt said, climbing to his feet. The grunt, only a young teenage male of eighteen years of age, looked like he had encountered a ghost. He was trembling.

Cyrus held back an angry response. He could easily fire the kid on the spot right now and berate him for his stupidity and carelessness, but that would be a sign of anger, one of the many useless emotions he wished to rid the world of. Taking in a deep breath, he recollected himself. “What are you doing?” he demanded.

“I… uh… was looking for the candy machine and I came across something… strange… and I wanted to find you!” the boy blabbered. Cyrus could hardly recognize the guy – he was most likely one of the newest recruits who had signed on just last week – but it didn’t matter because the grunts were meaningless to him. When a grunt signed on to join Galactic, they agreed to abandon all forms of their identity. Grunts didn’t have a name - they were simply called ‘grunts.’

“What did you see?” Cyrus said.

“Follow me, boss!”

He followed the nameless grunt down a corridor leading down to the public nap room. This is where the grunts slept. There were at least fifty beds, one bed for every two grunts in Galactic. One grunt worked the night shift while the other worked the day shift. While one was asleep, the other was awake and working. Only the commanders and himself had a room of their own.

“Do you see it, boss?” the grunt said, pointing at a couple lying down in the centre bed. Cyrus’s eyes were drawn to the couple and it didn’t take him long to figure out what was going on. The male was on top of the female and they seemed to be having a rather good time, unaware they were being watched.

Cyrus made a mental note to himself to create a sign at the entrance of the nap room, telling all grunts to ensure the bed was unoccupied before getting into it. The last thing he needed was pregnant grunts in his company. They wouldn’t be able to work as effectively, and he didn’t want to deal with the extra stress of hormonal mothers.

“Explain yourselves,” Cyrus demanded.

The two grunts immediately froze. “Boss?!”

“Oh my Arceus…” said the nameless female grunt, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red.

Cyrus crossed his arms over his chest and waited for an explanation. “I will fire you if you do not provide an explanation.” He could always find more grunts. There were always fools willing to sign up. “Get out of the bed.”

The grunts exchanged horrified looks. “But boss…” the woman said.

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” Cyrus replied, giving the lady grunt a stony glare. Embarrassment. Another useless emotion that only held an individual back from completing a task. “Get up.” The two grunts did as they were told, covering themselves up quickly with the bed sheets. He wondered what punishment to give them. “You have both indulged in an unnecessary act of pleasure. As a result of breaking one of my rules, you will not receive pay for the next fortnight. I hope you were both at least smart enough to take precautions?”

The grunts looked at their floor. Cyrus sighed. Of course not. The grunts were too stupid to even know how to protect themselves from the act of procreating even though Cyrus had given them the ‘talk’ at least once a month. Grunts. So primal. They allowed themselves to be controlled by the desires of the flesh. “Sorry, boss. It will not happen again,” the male grunt said, still glancing down at the ground.

“Get out of my sight.” They nodded and ran out of the room, not once stopping to glance over their shoulder. Cyrus glanced at the bed then turned to the teenage grunt. “I want the bed cleaned up.” The young grunt nodded eager to satisfy his boss. He leaped into action and immediately picked up the discarded clothes on the floor.

Cyrus exited the nap room, continuing to make his way to his private office in the secluded part of the building. Tinkering with machines was much more appealing than having to deal with other people since machines didn’t have emotions. They were designed to do specific tasks and they did them without complaint. How the world would be better if people were like machines.

.

Mars and Charon stepped inside the building. A handful of grunts were already there waiting for her. They bowed their heads as she strolled past them when two male grunts approached her. “Commander Mars, we have captured the owner!” the first grunt, a stocky male with a nasally voice, pointed at a chair behind him.

There was a man sitting on the chair, his arms wrapped around it, his hands bound together by a thick coarse rope. His legs too were tied to the legs of the chair and she noticed there were grazes and even a couple of bruises on his body. The man had obviously tried to resist. She strolled towards him with Charon close at her side. “Tell me, can the power a pokémon stores be converted into energy?” 

The man struggled against the ropes. “I don’t know.”

“Not good enough,” Mars said. “Hit him.”

The grunts happily obliged, kicking at the man’s right leg. He cried out. “Please… I do not know… I harness the energy created by the wind to generate electricity for the cities of Sinnoh! I do not know anything about pokémon, and their power being converted into energy!” he pleaded. “Just let me go… please… I’ll give you anything you want… just let me return to my daughter…”

Mars bent over, brought her face close and wagged a finger in the man’s face. “Do you think I’m stupid enough to let you go? I know you’ll alert the authorities to our presence. I can’t let that happen – I hope you understand.”

“Why are you doing this?” the man gasped.

She laid her hands on the man’s shoulders and gazed deeply into his eyes. “We are trying to make the world a better place.”

“But why do you need energy?”

Mars answered his question with a slap in the face. A stinging red mark appeared on his right cheek where she had struck him. “Stop talking. Now, you are going to remain here and work out a way to turn a pokémon’s energy into a source human can use. We’re not going to let you go until the task is complete, understood?”

“But my daughter…” he begged.

“If you ever want to see your daughter again you will do as I command,” Mars hissed. She turned to one of the grunts. “Find him a notebook and a pen for the man. We’re going to watch him day and night until he comes up with a solution.”

The grunt nodded and went off to find a notebook and returned moments later with a spiral book and a black pen. Mars reached down into her pocket, pulling out a pocketknife and walked over behind the chair. She brought the edge of the knife down onto the rope and cut into it until it fell apart, accidentally cutting into a bit of flesh. “Oops, sorry,” she said, grinning. “My finger must’ve slipped.”

Crimson blood dripped onto the floor. It wasn’t a great amt, but if the cut were any deeper, the man would need immediate medical assistance. He clutched his arm to his chest, glancing down at the wound. “You… You’re crazy.”

“What can I say? I like pain,” Mars replied, waving the knife around in the air. “You’ll be introduced to a new world of pain if you disobey me.” The man nodded, lowered his eyes, and gazed down at his paper. Mars turned to another idle grunt. “Guard the entrance. If anyone tries to come in, then you have my permission to beat them to a pulp.”

The grunt nodded. “Yes, commander Mars.”

She rubbed her hands together. “Excellent. The boss will be most pleased.”

.

Professor Rowan had been right. Floaroma Town was a tiny town, but a pleasant place to be. There were flower beds in all directions and even a tiny park for tourists and locals to relax in. She had seen flowers before, but never had she seen such a variety in one place. One bed was home to a few stalks of pink roses, another flower bed had red and yellow kangaroo paws and another bed on the opposite side belonged to many pink mountain coneflowers. There were many other species present, but she didn’t know the names of all of them.

“Um excuse me, miss? Would you be able to help me?”

Dawn was engrossed in observing the flowers that she didn’t realize a young girl in a yellow summer dress was watching her. Curious hazel eyes peered up at Dawn. “What do you need help with?”

“My father has been kidnapped by these people in space suits,” the girl replied. “They were really scary! Please help me save him, miss!”

Team Galactic again. She had a feeling she’d be seeing them again, but not this soon. Could she face them after what happened last time with the stunky? “Lead the way.” The girl in the yellow summer dress led Dawn towards the eastern path which took them past more flower beds. There was a bridge to the north, but it was guarded by a couple of grunts. Dawn and the girl walked past the guards until a white building came into view. There were a couple of windmills a couple of yards away sitting atop a steep hill.

A lone Galactic grunt stood in front of the building’s entrance, blocking the door. His head turned in their direction, and immediately scowled. “Hey you! You can’t be here! Get out or face the wrath of Galactic!”

The young girl cowered behind Dawn. “She wants to see her father,” Dawn said.

The grunt snorted. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“He’s in there! I know he is! You beat him down and placed him in a chair!” the girl blurted. “I want to see my dad!”

“You need two sets of keys to open these doors. I have the second key. My friends have the other key and they’re hiding in the flower park in Floaroma Town.” The grunt immediately cursed himself. “I didn’t tell you anything! Wait, it doesn’t matter anyway since you’re not going to be able to get the other key.” He laughed. “I have nothing to be worried about. Commanders Mars and Charon will get the information they need to obtain energy from pokémon…”

Dawn lifted a brow. “You’re trying to capture pokémon to obtain energy from them?”

The grunt smirked. “Yeah, that’s right! We need another source of energy to make the boss’s goal to become a reality! And there’s no way I’m going to let some uppity brat stop me!” He reached down to his pokébelt and hurled his only pokéball to the ground. “Glameow!”

Dawn immediately brought forth Gastly. Gastly wasn’t strong enough to handle a battle against a glameow in pure offensive power, but he did know status inflicting moves that would allow Dawn to gain the upper hand. “Gastly, use Hypnosis!”

“Glameow, use Scratch!”

Either the grunt was dumb, or he was just fooling with her because ghost-types weren’t affected by normal-type moves. Glameow’s move struck but did no damage at all. The grunt seemed surprised. _Dumb grunt,_ Dawn confirmed. “Okay, Gastly! Now it’s your turn!” Gastly nodded and sailed forward, stopping directly in front of the feline’s eyes. He swung from side to side like a pendulum until the cat fell asleep.

“Oh no!”

“Now put the grunt to sleep!”

Gastly nodded and used the same move on the grunt. The grunt too fell asleep. He dropped to the ground. The little girl crouched down and picked the key to the second door up. “We need to find the other key.”

Without saying another word, Dawn headed back to the town which thankfully was a short walk. The park entrance was just a couple of feet away from the town’s centre. She stepped through the archway made of flowers and found two grunts beating down an old man. What was it with grunts and attacking old people? Dawn rushed over, her Gastly following close behind. The two grunts immediately stopped when they noticed her presence.

“Hey, look! It’s a cute trainer!”

“What should we do?”

“Let’s punish her!”

The grunts approached her, leaving the injured man lying on the grassy meadow. “Go get her, zubats!” Two blue bats with no visible eyes appeared, hovering on the same spot. His friend threw out his pokéball to reveal a stunky. A triple battle. She knew these battles occurred in Unova, but never thought they’d take place in this region.

“You seem surprised. You’ve never seen a triple battle before?”

“She looks like she hasn’t seen a lot of things.”

Dawn pulled out her pokédex and faced it towards the zubat.

_Zubat. It checks its surroundings and location using reflections of the ultrasonic waves from its mouth._

Not a word about its eyes. Did it even have them? Dawn summoned Murkrow and Deino to join Gastly’s side. Her pokémon could handle a battle on their own, but a team battle? She wasn’t so sure. Team battles were more about strategy than pure offense power. “Murkrow, use Pursuit! Gastly, use Hypnosis! Deino, use Dragon Rage!”

Murkrow emitted a ball of dark energy and sent it forth in the direction of the first zubat. Gastly’s attempt in putting the second zubat to sleep failed, but it was Deino’s beam of draconic rage that took her and the grunts by surprise. The beam was so powerful it took the glameow down in one hit. “What in the name of Arceus is that thing?” The grunts looked at Deino with newfound curiosity.

“The energy… the boss would love a pokémon that strong!”

The other grunt recalled his two zubats – he probably scared Deino would take them both down with one beam. Deino didn’t look impressive but the baby dragon sure possessed a lot of power. The grunt with the fainted pokémon threw Dawn the key to open the first door. “Take the key. Commander Mars has probably gotten what we need anyway so we’re no longer needed. You might have won the battle here, but you won’t get past Mars.”

“Yeah, she’ll teach you a lesson in pain.”

The pair turned around and ran towards the forest surrounding the park. Dawn walked over to the injured man’s side and knelt beside him. “Do you need any help? There’s a pokémon Centre nearby.”

He shook his head. “I’m fine, young lass. You go and stop those spacemen from causing more trouble.”

The man didn’t look to be all right, but he refused to accept her hand. Dawn turned to the little girl who was standing at the entrance, darting her eyes in various directions, looking as skittish as a newborn skitty. “I’m going to save your father.”

.

As soon as she stepped into the building, Dawn was greeted by pained cries coming from somewhere within the building. The little girl besides her, stood right at Dawn’s side, clutching onto arm. Together, they ventured further in the Valley Windworks when Dawn spotted two Galactic grunts standing on opposite sides of the room.

“You think you can take us, girl?” the first grunt snorted.

“The commander waits for you up ahead,” said the second grunt.

Dawn focused her gaze on the opposite side of the room where a lady with bright red hair wearing a dress stood. There was an old man standing to her left, but it was the figure behind them that caught her attention. A man wearing a suit was strapped down to the chair, a trail of blood running down the side of his mouth. He was gasping, obviously shaken by the events that had occurred.

“Daddy!” the young girl said. She almost dashed forward, but Dawn held her back.

“Stay back. It’s too dangerous for you to approach him.” Dawn didn’t know anything about the ranking system of the Galactic members, but whoever the lady was, she must’ve been important. Her hands were resting on her hips, her chin tilted slightly upwards, adding to her overall smug demeanour.

The woman’s eyes rested on Dawn. “I’m one of Team Galactic’s three commanders, Mars. We’ve been trying to create a new world that’s better than this one… But people have shown little understanding about what we do. You don’t understand either, do you? It’s a little saddening…” She tilted her head to the side. “You remind me of someone… I feel like I’ve seen you before somewhere… but never mind.”

Galactic were trying to create a new world? These people were certainly crazy. Creating a new world wasn’t possible… right? “I’m here to stop you.”

Mars threw her head back and laughed. “You’re just a little girl. What makes you think you can defeat me, a commander of Team Galactic?” She gave Dawn a defiant stare which sent a chill race down her spine. “But I’m curious. So, let’s have a battle to decide what we should do next. If I win, you leave. If you win, we, Team Galactic, will leave!”

“Mars, you are wasting time battling this girl,” the old man said, placing a hand on Mars’s shoulder.

Mars withdrew her arm roughly, almost elbowing the guy in the face. “I’m in charge here, Charon or have you forgotten the boss’s orders?” she snarled. Charon fell silent, taking a step back. He turned his head in Dawn’s direction and frowned, as if he had recognized a familiar face. “So, what is your name girl, or do I have to beat a total stranger?”

Dawn pulled her gaze away from Charon. “I’m Dawn.”

“Dawn eh? A pretty name, but it won’t help you win.” She reached down to her pokébelt and threw out her first pokéball. A zubat appeared.

Having battled a Zubat before, Dawn wasn’t too worried about fighting another one. It didn’t appear to be too strong – in fact, the bat was fragile. Dawn sent out Murkrow. Murkrow flapped around in circles, cawing loudly. “Murkrow, use Pursuit!” Murkrow conjured a ball of dark energy and sent it forth. The ball sailed into the zubat, almost knocking it out of the air. Zubat wasn’t as fragile as the ones she had fought before though and it steadied itself in the air, hovering in one place. It hissed, bearing its small fangs which were coated in poison.

Mars pointed her finger forward. “Zubat, use Bite!” For a bat that had no eyes, it certainly had no trouble with directions and aiming. It flew with surprising speed, latching itself onto Murkrow’s neck, wings beating the air furiously. Murkrow thrashed around in the air, trying to throw the bat off, but his attempts failed.

“Come on Murkrow… use Peck!” Dawn ordered. Murkrow cawed, turned his head, and drilled his bill into the zubat’s head. Zubat hissed, released, and returned to its owner.

“You think you’re so good, don’t you? Well, I’m far from finished yet. This battle has only just begun. Zubat, use Supersonic!” Zubat remained in one place, flapping its wings furiously, as a beam of yellow light exited its mouth. The beam struck Murkrow directly in the face. It did not hurt the bird physically, but Murkrow’s movements seemed less focused than before.

“Murkrow?” Dawn called out.

Murkrow turned around to face Dawn and swooped down, talons ready to strike at her face. Dawn ducked, narrowly avoiding sharp claws. Before damage could be done, she threw her pokéball at the avian returning it to safety. Her pokémon had been confused. She pulled out her next pokémon, Gastly.

“You seem to have an appreciation for the darkness,” Mars crowed. “If you weren’t my enemy, I’d welcome you into our ranks. I think you’d look rather dashing in a Galactic outfit. Of course, we’d have to cut your hair and dye it aqua…”

“I would never join Team Galactic,” Dawn said. She still hardly knew a thing about them, but if she were to judge them on their fashion taste alone, they were clearly bad news. “Gastly, use Hypnosis!” Her pokémon swung from side to side until the zubat fell asleep. The bat dropped to the ground. “Use Lick!” Gastly moved forward. He hovered above the zubat then stuck out his long pink tongue, pressing it against Zubat’s cool flesh. Gastly ran it down until the bat was covered in saliva. Although the attack appeared to do no damage, Zubat shuddered.

“What did you do to my pokémon?” Mars shrieked.

Was that a trick question? “Your pokémon is sleeping.”

Mars hissed. “I know that you stupid girl!” She threw her pokéball to return Zubat to safety, then replacing it with her other pokémon. She expected to see a glameow or a stunky considering what the other grunts used, but what she saw was a real menace. It was a rather chubby feline covered in thick grey and white fur. The cat’s face was crescent-shaped, and its whiskers were shaped like zigzags. Surely, this overweight cat couldn’t hit hard? It looked far too sluggish to do anything.

_Purugly. The evolved form of gameow. It binds its body with its tails to make itself look bigger. If it locks eyes, it will glare ceaselessly._

Dawn eyed the cat with cautious eyes. The cat hissed, slashing at the air with a paw, her eyes narrowing into slits.

“You’re going pale. You have the option of giving up the battle if you wish… or course, that will mean you have to leave.”

Dawn shook her head. “I’ll never give up.”

Mars snorted. “You are foolish little girl, aren’t you? If the boss was here, then he’d put you in your place.”

“Who is he? You speak of him highly.”

Mars narrowed her eyes. “Of course, I do. He’s going to make a new world for us – not for annoying brats such as yourself. Purugly, use Faint Attack!” Purugly rushed forward. It pounced on Gastly, slashing it in the face with a blackened claw. Gastly’s gases evaporated as he fainted. Dawn recalled her fainted pokémon. She had two pokémon remaining capable of fighting. Her Turtwig and Deino.

Deino tipped the odds in her favour last time, could her dragon do it again or would it be better to rely on her most experienced fighter? She decided to take a risk and use Deino. Besides, the dragon could use some extra experience. She threw Deino’s pokéball out and the dragon appeared. “My dragon destroyed one of your grunts earlier. He can do it again if I commend him to.”

“You think I’m scared of your baby dragon? I’ve seen far worse, girl.” Purugly hissed again, bracing herself for another attack. “Enough talk. I say we finish this battle. Purugly, use Scratch!” Purugly dashed forward, slashing a paw at Deino’s face. The cat’s attack struck hard, causing Deino to topple over.

Dawn opened her mouth to order a counterattack when Charon moved forward. “Stop the battle, Mars,” Charon said. “You have proven yourself. Dawn is just a child – what do you prove by beating her? The owner has given us what we need. There is no need for us to remain here or do you wish to displease the boss?”

Mars looked at him for a few moments then sighed. “Next time I’ll make sure the boss pairs you up with Jupiter.” She threw a scathing look in Dawn’s direction. “I’m not going to go so easy on you the next time meet. Let’s move.” She snapped her fingers, prompting the grunts around her to move. As the grunts and their commander exited the building, Charon walked to Dawn.

Dawn stepped back. He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him then leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Consider yourself lucky that I was here to save you from defeat. I know who you are… Dawn.” He chuckled lightly. “We will meet again, I’m sure of it.” He released her arm and followed in the footsteps of his fellow team members.

Dawn rubbed her arm gingerly, as if trying to remove the invisible spot he had touched her, as she watched the man leave. That had been easier than expected. Instead of chasing after the man to ask questions, she shifted to the attention to the man bound to a chair.

“Daddy!” her young companion squealed, running towards her father.

“Deino, bite the ropes that bind this man to his chair,” Dawn ordered, still reeling from Charon’s words. How did he know her? She had never seen him before in his life. Deino clamped his mouth around the thick rope, gnawing it until it fell apart. The ropes fell to the floor and the man fell out of his chair, but thankfully Dawn rushed forward to stop him from falling.

“Thank you… thank you for saving me,” the man gasped, glancing up at Dawn, his daughter at his side.

She smiled. “You don’t have to thank me. I did what was right. What did they want from you?”

“Energy. They tortured me for hours… I-I gave in and told them what they wanted to know. Energy can be harvested from pokémon. I don’t know why they would want to do that though… the consequences are catastrophic.” He hung his head sadly ashamed he had given up such information. “Team Galactic… they want to create a new world by using the energy harvested from pokémon. I fear for our existence if they should somehow succeed.” He gazed into her eyes, pleadingly. “You must not let them succeed.”

Dawn arched her eyebrows. “I am just a trainer; not a heroine.”

He grasped her arms. “Great legends come from nothing.” He released her gently and climbed to his feet with his daughter’s aid. “Thank you again for your assistance. I am forever in your debt. If you ever need anything, drop by my house in Floaroma Town. My house is the one with the red mailbox. My name is Joseph.”

He hobbled out of the door leaving Dawn alone. A trainer’s journey was always supposed to be full of excitement, but this was much more than she had expected. The man had said great legends came from nothing. What did he mean by that? Had he been referring to former heroes who defeated crime mobs in other regions? Red had been the first. He defied all the odds and rose to the top to claim the title of Champion, defeating Team Rocket in the process. May had followed in his footsteps, responsible for taking down not one, but two criminal teams to save Hoenn from destruction.

Red and May were unknown to the world at the beginning of their journeys, but their reputation began to grow as their legendary deeds spread through their home regions. Was she destined to follow in their footsteps? Would her name be added to the history books to be remembered forever? Or would she be remembered for another reason? She shook her head and turned to exit the building.

She didn’t manage to cover a lot of ground when Looker jumped out from behind the corner, startling her. “Ah, yes. It is you, yes,” the man said, gazing down at Dawn, his dark eyes alive. “I have heard that the Team Galactic appeared at this power plant. I have, therefore, come running. So, the Team Galactic… where are they?”

For a guy that claimed to be part of a top-notch police team, he sure wasn’t good at stopping criminals. She wondered what his story was. “They’re gone.”

He frowned. “You have run them off, you say? You are a trainer, but… Very well! I shall go investigate inside!” The man pointed to the sky, super-hero style, and entered the building. He came back out several moments later. “Magnificent!” he crowed, throwing his hands up in the air. “Yes, it is! What you have said, it is all true! Superb! Though you are young, you are a trainer through and through!”

“They won’t be causing trouble here no more, but I don’t think they’re finished yet.”

He nodded, rubbing his chin, looking thoughtful. “Very well! I shall pursue the culprits! I have received tips that the Team Galactic hideout is in Eterna City, which coincidently is your next stop. To there, I must be off!” The man raced away, reminding Dawn briefly of her friend, Barry. Fortunately, Barry didn’t share Looker’s eccentric nature. The man was just too weird.

She made her way back to the town and immediately visited the pokémon Centre to rest. Looker had stated her next stop was in Eterna City and to get there she needed to bypass Eterna Forest. Travelling through a forest meant creepy bugs and humid weather. She was going to have to dress appropriately for that journey. A couple cans of bug spray repellent ought to suffice, she thought, making a mental list of things to purchase. While she waited for pokémon to be healed, she took the opportunity to rest herself.


	7. A Dire Warning

Celestic Town was a small village built around a shrine, dating back to the ancient times. It served as retirement place for the elderly because of the peaceful atmosphere – there was no gym and therefore no tourists and no youth to deal with. It was a place of ancient history, and only those with an interest in the past came here to visit.

Cynthia walked up to her house, and knocked on the door twice, patiently waiting for it to open. She had returned home on her grandmother’s request. It could not have come a better time since Cynthia was in a desperate need to do something exciting. Being the best trainer that the region had to offer had its downsides and one of them was having too much time to carry out leisurely activities. It had been fun for the first few weeks to be able to travel the region and explore what Sinnoh had to offer, but it grew old quickly. It could’ve been worse – she could’ve been stuck at the league all day like the unfortunate members of the elite four. Nowadays, she spent her leisure time visiting her family. Hopefully, her grandmother could help her find something exciting to do.

The door opened. A young girl, who shared the same taste in clothing Cynthia had, opened the door. She glanced up, a smile appearing on her face, blue eyes shining with mirth. “Cynthia!” Her younger sister, Jade, wrapped her arms around Cynthia’s waist.

“I was only here yesterday you know,” Cynthia joked, glancing down at her nine-year-old sister.

“You’re not here often enough,” the younger girl said, removing her arms.

Cynthia closed the door behind her and followed her sister to the living room. Her grandmother was already there sipping on some green tea. The woman had never been a tea drinker until she became good friends with Sheila, Pryce’s wife. Now the old lady drank tea at least three times a day and urged her granddaughters to do the same.

Her grandmother looked in her direction immediately, lips pressed into a thin line. That expression could only mean one thing – something was wrong, and she needed Cynthia to solve it. “Jade. Please wait in your room,” their grandmother said. Cynthia caught Jade’s eyes and shrugged, and the younger girl frowned, but did as said and hurried upstairs.

Once Jade had returned to her home, Cynthia sat down next to her grandmother and helped herself to some green tea. “Guess who I saw this morning?” Cynthia started, after taking a sip. Her grandmother said nothing. “Johanna’s daughter, Dawn. I had to admit, I didn’t think I’d be seeing her as a trainer since Johanna seemed reluctant to let her go on her journey. What made her change her mind?”

Cynthia had seen Dawn on two occasions – one when the girl was born and a second time when Dawn was five years of age. Dawn probably didn’t even recognize her now since it had been quite several years since they last met.

“Johanna couldn’t hold her daughter back from pursuing her dreams any longer.”

“And what’s so bad about that?” Cynthia replied, pouring more tea into her cup, filling it to the brim. “Becoming a trainer is nothing to be ashamed of. I recall there were tears in your eyes the day I left for my journey.” It was almost hard to believe that nine years had passed since she had had started on her road to become the Champion of her region. “Are you worried about Dawn struggling? Wasn’t her father a trainer?” Carolina nodded. “Well, what’s the problem?”

Her grandmother snorted. “He is the problem.”

Cynthia frowned. “How could he be a problem if he’s no longer around?” Dawn’s father had abandoned Dawn before she had been born and moved to another region, or at least that’s what she had heard. “I thought he had moved to Unova?” The man apparently had an eye for business and Unova was the business capital of the world. There was so much more potential to start a business there than there was here in Sinnoh.

Carolina shook her head. “No, he still lives in Sinnoh and I fear what will happen when he learns the truth of Dawn’s existence.”

“He’s her father, grandma.”

“He’s a danger, Cynthia. You do not know him like I do. You have never seen him before, and I hope you never do. A man who leaves his pregnant wife when she needs him the most is not worthy of being called a father. I fear for the worst if he learns of Dawn – I want you to protect Dawn to the best of your ability.”

Cynthia wondered what else the man had done to earn her grandmother’s distrust. She seemed to be holding back more information, regarding Dawn’s mystery father’s history. “I will look out for Dawn.” Johanna was her grandmother’s closest friend, and Dawn seemed like a sweet girl. Besides, it would be nice connecting with the girl she had known since she was a baby, even if Dawn didn’t know it yet. “Should I tell Dawn that I’m the same Cynthia who attended her fifth birthday party?”

“She doesn’t remember you; you’ll most likely scare the girl. Keep your identity a secret. You will guide her down the right path. Promise me, Cynthia.”

Cynthia detected a tone of desperation. Whoever this guy was, he certainly had left a foul impression on her grandmother’s mind. It wasn’t surprising though – her grandmother didn’t hold a high opinion of men, stating they were easily swayed and manipulated. She could understand where her grandmother was coming from since all the male members in their family had left, though Cynthia bore no ill feelings towards the opposite gender. A person’s gender didn’t determine how good of a person they could be – it was up to the individual to shape their own destiny by making the right choices.

“I promise, grandmother. I’ll protect Dawn as if she was my sister.”

A rare smile crossed her grandmother’s worried expression. “Then that is all I can ask for.”

.

Before entering the forest, Dawn had made sure to obtain some new attack moves for her friends. They had grown considerably stronger since their first battle – with the right training, Dawn was sure her team could become a force to be reckoned with. Battling other trainers and wild pokémon had given her pokémon valuable experience but battling the Galactic members had been essential to growth of her pokémon and herself.

Wild pokémon acted on instinct and other trainers played by the rules presented in the guidebook, but a Galactic member fought with no honour and that was more dangerous than anything she had encountered. It opened her eyes to the world around her – the way the world was depicted on the trainer channel made it appear to be a happy place to live in, but Dawn now knew better. There was darkness where there was light.

She entered the forest, her team of four following close behind her. Dawn wanted them out of their pokéballs so they too could see the sights around them and learn more about the world they lived in. She could only hope they didn’t run away and get lost in this dark place. The canopy was so thick that only thin rays of sunlight made it through, providing her with just enough light source to know where she was going.

It was also incredibly humid. Her clothes stuck to her skin, making her feel rather uncomfortable. Her usual tame hair was now in a frizzy mess, and her face was dripping with sweat. What she wanted right now was a long cold shower, but that was quite a fair way yet. To top it all off, the bugs still came to her despite having covered herself in bug repellent. The man selling the product had informed her that the repellent would drive bugs away, so why were they still harassing her? Granted, she didn’t have to deal with a swarm of bugs, but the odd few still annoyed her.

“Here, try this repellent instead. This one has a much stronger stench,” a gentle feminine voice said from behind her.

Dawn spun around, her eyes resting on another young girl with green hair. The lady’s hair matched the dark leafed trees and her eyes were as green as the grass. “Uh, thanks,” Dawn said, reaching out to the woman’s hand to grab a spray can of bug repellent.

She sprayed it all over herself and on her pokémon as well since they were having problems with pesky bugs too. The spray did not have a recognizable scent, but it must have been powerful to the bugs because the ones that were harassing her now moved far away. Once she was done, she handed it back.

“I’m Cheryl, a treasure hunter,” the lady replied, placing the repellent back in her shoulder bag. “I take it you’re lost as well?”

Dawn huffed. “I’m not lost. I’m just exploring, that’s all.”

Cheryl just chuckled. “That’s what all the lost people say.”

“How long have you been in here for?” Dawn said.

“For a few hours now, I’m afraid. All the trees here look the same and it’s hard to see with such little sunlight. Sometimes I think I’ve found my way out only to find I’m back where I started again,” the girl explained, shaking her head sadly, giving Dawn a grim smile. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we stick together? There are dangerous people roaming the region and I don’t want to encounter one of those spacemen again.” A visible shudder ran down her spine.

Dawn lifted an eyebrow. “You mean Team Galactic?”

“You’ve met them too then? Don’t they just give you the creeps?” She flipped her long ponytail over her right shoulder, giving Dawn a wide-eyed look. “I ran into them the other day in the forest. I was searching for some treasure and I accidentally crossed paths with them. The bowl-cut duo demanded that I give them everything that I had otherwise they would teach me a lesson with their pokémon. My chansey beat the first duo, but then two more came along and defeated my poor baby.” Cheryl sighed. “Fortunately, I had a couple of revives. I would hate to find myself in a tight situation without them.”

“What happened then?”

“They left. I didn’t have any treasure on me other than a couple of revives which they didn’t appear to be interested in thankfully. Chansey and I have been so terrified of wondering on our own because of those spacemen.” She smiled warmly. “I’m glad you came along when you did. You look like a tough trainer.”

“Oh, I’m not. Not yet anyway, but hopefully I will be one day. I just started out on my journey.” It was then she realized she hadn’t yet formally introduced herself. “I’m Dawn by the way. I’m from Twinleaf Town.”

“Twinleaf Town? Oh, I’ve heard the name before, but I don’t think I’ve ever visited. I hear it can be quite chilly down there.” Cheryl started walking, taking a right turn. The path was blocked by a pair of thick bushes. Cheryl parted the vegetation and crawled through. Dawn followed her thankful the bush wasn’t one of those prickly ones.

“Sometimes,” Dawn admitted, climbing to her feet, brushing some dirt off her dress. “It’s tolerable though. What do you know about Team Galactic?” They continued walking down a dirt-covered path. Dawn didn’t pay much attention to her surroundings; she was far more engrossed in the conversation she was having with Cheryl.

Cheryl glanced upwards at the canopy, looking thoughtful. She turned her gaze away focusing on Dawn again. “I don’t know much truthfully, but I know they’re searching for something. One of the grunts mentioned something about meeting up with a lady called Jupiter in Eterna City,” she explained.

Looker had mentioned something about the Galactic base in Eterna City. He said he was going to investigate himself, but Dawn had a feeling that somehow, she would reach the base before him. “So, you come to forests searching for treasure?” she said, changing the topic to a more delightful one.

Cheryl nodded. “I come from a family of treasure hunters. We search the region looking for rare objects. If we come across exceptionally rare items, then we’ll give them to the scientists, but otherwise we keep the items for ourselves. It’s an adventurous career. What about you? What’s your background?”

“My mother is a fashion coordinator and my father…” she paused briefly then continued. “I don’t know he is, but I’m going to find him. Mum never speaks about him much – it’s one of those ‘off topic’ conversations. All I know is that he is a trainer as well and is hiding somewhere in Sinnoh.” A horrible thought dawned on her. What if her father was Charon, the old guy she met back in the Valley Windworks? He did claim to know her after all.

No way. Her mother would have better sense than to go out with a guy who was probably three times her age. “You seem troubled.” Cheryl’s gentle voice brought Dawn back to reality.

“Just thinking, that’s all. How come you’re not a trainer?” Again, she changed the topic.

“I always thought I was going to be a trainer. I remember waking up one morning and hearing that Red claimed the title from that snotty kid, Blue. I told myself that I wanted to be like him as well.” She chuckled, shaking her head a little. “But I wasn’t much of a trainer. Battling didn’t appeal to me – I was more fascinated in finding objects instead of seeking out trainers. What about you? Why did you decide to be a trainer?”

“Well,” Dawn started. “I wanted to explore the world. I used to watch the trainer channel every Monday morning and I felt jealous of all the kids who were old enough to embark on theirs. Mum didn’t want me going for some reason, but eventually gave into the idea when I turned twelve. I want to become the next Champion and be someone my parents can be proud of.”

“It’s good that you know what you want already. I wish I had known what career path to take when I was ten. It would’ve saved me a lot of stress. Oh,” Cheryl suddenly said, pointing a finger forward. “I believe that’s the exit.”

Dawn turned her head. There was an archway a few metres way. It was camouflaged so well Dawn would not have recognized it if Cheryl hadn’t been there with her. “We made it out.”

Grinning, Cheryl nodded. “Isn’t it amazing what we can discover when the mind isn’t plagued with worry and doubt? Talking with you has cleared my mind, thank you for accompanying me. Take one of my revive potions - I’m sure you’ll find it useful in the road ahead.” She reached down into her bag and pulled out a bottle. The bottle had a red cross on it. Dawn thanked her and put it away into her own bag. “Good luck in your journey Dawn, I hope we meet again sometime.” The girl waved and headed through the rusted archway.

Dawn thought about following her but figured this was a good place to do some training. If she stayed near the archway, then she’d be fine. She gazed down at her pokémon who were peering up at her, waiting for their orders. “What do you say we get some training done?” Her four pokémon nodded and immediately rushed over to a patch of grass nearby, Dawn following close behind.

.

Cynthia carefully crossed over the moving flower petal as she made her way to the gym leader’s area. As per usual, Gardenia was tending to the flower beds surrounding her gym and admiring her new selection of garden gnomes. Cynthia had never been interested in gardening herself, but the scent of the flowers was somehow relaxing.

“Hello Gardenia,” Cynthia said.

Gardenia immediately rose from the ground and turned around. A brilliant smile spread across her face as she noticed Cynthia. “Cynthia!” The girl rushed over to her and gave her a hug, which Cynthia returned. “I’m so happy to see you!”

Cynthia was the trainer all the girls in Sinnoh admired. Before her, there had never been a female Champion since it was falsely assumed only males could make it to the top. She had proven the critics wrong by claiming the title when she was sixteen which had been three years ago. “It’s good to see you too, Gardenia. I notice you have redesigned your gym?”

The last time she had been here the gym had been designed to look like a maze of trees. Gym trainers would be waiting in the treetops, waiting to ambush challengers from above. Now the place had a mechanical moving flower metal in the centre of the gym and waterspouts decorating it. The gym trainers were clearly visible from the entrance ruining the suspense the gym had previously.

Gardenia nodded. “The place needed a feminine touch.”

“But what about the trees?” Cynthia replied, puzzled.

“Don’t look so shocked, Cynthia.” She laughed softly. “You know I would never bring harm to the natural land. The old gym is just across from here – we turned it into a greenhouse. It’s also a place of education. The local children come once a week to learn about our wonderful flora and look after plants of their own. So, what brings you down here? Not much activity happening at the league?”

Cynthia shook her head. “I came here to see you were feeling. You were having problems with a boy the last time I was here if I remember clearly.” The beginnings of a blush formed on the gym leader’s face. She looked down and tended to the flowers again. “What was his name again, Roark? Byron’s son?”

At the mention of Roark, Gardenia jerked her head back up. “I’ve lost interest in him,” she said, turning away again. That was an abrupt change in tone, Cynthia thought. Cynthia waited. Gardenia would confess when she felt ready. A few minutes passed by when the gym leader sighed. “Okay, I still like the guy, but he doesn’t seem interested in me at all. I think it’s because I defeated his team easily the last time we met.” Her expression turned into one of regret.

“How long ago was this?” Cynthia moved to the cloud-wallpapered wall and leaned against it.

“Two months ago. He challenged me to a battle, and I agreed. He knew he didn’t stand a chance against my team, but he was intent on battling. After he lost, I never heard from him again. Do you think he hates me?”

Cynthia had met Roark on several occasions, and he was usually accompanied by his father. The boy was overconfident at times, but he would never sever ties with someone for no reason. “I think he’s embarrassed. You hurt his ego. It’s going to take a bit of time for him to recover from that.”

Gardenia stood up. “Well, how long will I have to wait? He won’t even answer his calls! Candice is hosting a dinner party and I wanted to see if he was going or not.”

“Why don’t you just drop by his place instead? He doesn’t live that far away from here.”

“And what would I say to him? Apologize for winning?”

“Tell him how you really feel, Gardenia. He probably thinks you don’t like him and that’s why he’s keeping his distance,” Cynthia explained, arms crossed over her chest. She couldn’t help smiling at Gardenia’s dilemma.

Gardenia stared then nodded, sighing heavily. “You’re right. You’re always right. I don’t understand why you haven’t hooked up with anyone yet, Cynthia. You’re like the coolest female trainer in history. You’d think guys would be lining up at the league doorstep waiting for you,” she teased, chuckling.

“I have other things to focus on than worry about relationships,” she replied calmly.

“I know dating gym leaders isn’t something a Champion would do, but have you considering the other Champions from surrounding nations? You know, Lance is pretty attractive, and I hear he’s still single.”

Cynthia raised both her eyebrows. “He’s fine on the eyes, I agree, but he’s certainly not my type. Besides, I hear he’s keeping an eye on a trainer called Lyra.” Gardenia was about to raise another suggestion when Cynthia wagged a finger. “Don’t even mention Steven. Steven is a good friend of mine, but I have no romantic interest in him at all.”

Steven was the former Champion of Hoenn, having chosen to resign from his position to locate rare stones instead. Every fortnight Cynthia would meet up with Steven for dinner and they’d discuss texts of the past and other historical topics. The other gym leaders weren’t interested in such things and the elite four members would rather watch reality shows and play video games than learn about the world around them.

“I still think you need to get out and meet some cute guy, but if you’re happy then I’m happy.”

Cynthia was glad the topic had been dropped. Gardenia hadn’t been the only one hoping Cynthia would meet someone nice. She ignored all the comments of course but getting into a relationship now when her career was at its peak point didn’t seem like the wisest choice. Besides, she was supposed to be keeping an eye on Dawn, not running around seducing men that caught her fancy.

“Do visit Roark when you can, okay? I must be going now. Prepare yourself for a worthy challenger, Gardenia. She’ll be arriving soon.” Before Gardenia could ask further questions, Cynthia left the gym and headed back outside. It was somewhat chilly here. She tugged her coat around her body and moved towards the city’s most famous sighting, a giant carving of a golden dragon. The statue used to have an inscription plate, but it had since been removed… or stolen.

Once a year a festival celebrating nature was held here and people would decorate the statue with flowers to show their appreciation of the beauty life presented. It wasn’t festival month yet though, so the city was rather quiet, but there was a man with light blue spiky hair there standing before the statue. She had never seen him before but somehow, she felt like she already knew him.

“The flower festival isn’t until late September,” Cynthia said, strolling over to greet the stranger. “But you can still lay a flower here if you’d like.”

He turned to face her, cold blue eyes fixing on her face. “I’m not interested in flowers.”

Ah, so he was interested in history in himself, Cynthia thought. She wondered if Steven knew him since Steven had contacts with everyone that was interested in stories of the past. “The inscription plate has been missing for a couple of months.”

“Stolen, I presume.”

She frowned. “We don’t know for sure, but it’s the most likely outcome.” She studied him closely. She generally thought her people reading skills were quite good, but she couldn’t read him. His expression never seemed to change; it was as if he were incapable of expressing emotion at all. Her trainer instinct told her this man could not be trusted.

He was studying her face as well. “You’re the Champion, are you not? Cynthia?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Tell me Champion, what do you see when you look at the world around you? I’m sure someone of your reputation has experienced many things.”

“I see potential.”

He snorted, turning his gaze back to the statue. “Yes, so do I. The world we live in is incomplete and full of strife, but I think we’re capable of achieving so much more. But this thing we call spirit… it holds us back from reaching our full potential… it weakens the mind. We’re slaves to our emotions. A world devoid of spirit and feeling would be a better place, don’t you agree, Champion?” He turned to face her again.

“We’re going to have to disagree on that topic. If we couldn’t feel the world would lose all meaning. We would be machines in human flesh. What reason would there be to live in a world like that? Spirit reminds us that we’re alive and that isn’t something to detest.” She wasn’t sure why she was defending her opinion against a stranger, but what he was saying made no sense at all. Why would someone want to rid the world of something as complex as emotion?

He looked at her for a more seconds and Cynthia thought she detected a hint of irritation in the way he slightly narrowed his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. “Remember the name, Cyrus. I’m sure we’ll cross paths again, Champion. Maybe you’ll understand my views the next time we meet.” He walked past her without saying anything else. Cynthia watched him walk away before deciding to leave herself.

It was time to give her old friend Steven a call. As she walked away from the statue, she spotted Dawn approaching the pokémon centre. She quickly moved out of the girl’s vision – now wasn’t the right time to communicate her. Not until she had more answers to her growing number of questions. She ducked inside the old gym and stood in amongst some trees. Thankfully, there was no one here right now probably because it was the least busy time of the year for tourism here in Eterna City. She pulled out her xtransceiver and dialled Steven’s number.

“Hello, Steven. This is Cynthia. We need to talk.”


	8. The Illusion of Control

Charon and Mars entered the Galactic secondary base stationed in Eterna City. Jupiter was already there, screaming at the top of her lungs as her group of grunts ran around the building, looking rather stressed. Charon chuckled at the sight – the Galactic grunts were some of the most idiotic people he had ever encountered. They could not read. They could not count and most of them failed at following simple commands. The grunts had been hired for one purpose – to do the physical work.

The commanders were simply there to keep the grunts in line and ensure all orders were being carried smoothly. If there was a problem, it was the commander’s job to solve the issue. If a commander couldn’t solve the issue, then they would seek advice from Charon who was considered the brains of the outfit. It was a position Charon was satisfied with – he got to stay at home close to the boss while working on his own grand scheme. Of course, sometimes he was sent to accompany a commander on a mission, much like the one at the Valley Windworks.

His own grand scheme was simple: Pretend to carry out Cyrus’s foolish ambition while he worked on bringing his dreams one step closer to reality. The stupid naive man believed Charon was a loyal soldier (at least that’s what he assumed), but he couldn’t be further from the truth. While Cyrus had mastered the art of pretending not to care, Charon had mastered the art of pretending to care. The Galactic boss believed every lie Charon spoke since he viewed him as his equal… well, almost.

“What are you smirking about?” Jupiter demanded, sparing a glance in Charon’s direction.

“I’m pleased with our progress and I’m sure our boss will be as well,” Charon replied. Jupiter studied his face, searching for a lie, but Charon gave nothing away. “We know it’s possible to harvest energy from a pokémon.”

Jupiter nodded. “And what are we supposed to do with that energy?”

“That energy will be used to make the boss’ vision become a reality,” Charon explained.

“And what is that exactly?” Jupiter said, raising an eyebrow. “He doesn’t tell us anything. He just tells us to carry out tasks to make it happen.”

Mars scowled. “He doesn’t tell you anything because he doesn’t like you!”

“He hasn’t told you anything either, Mars!”

Mars fell silent, biting her bottom lip, her eyes burning with rage. Her arms fell to her side, her fingers curled into fists, as if she planned to strike out at the older woman. As amusing as this was to watch, Charon knew letting the girls argue amongst themselves was a bad idea. The girls didn’t like each other much each other at all – Jupiter thought Mars was far too young to hold an important position and Mars found Jupiter to be a bossy know-it-all irritation.

“Cyrus doesn’t tell you about his goal because he wants to keep it a surprise. If he told you what his end game was… then you would know what you were striving for,” Charon said. “And if you knew what the ultimate goal was you would probably break free of your oaths and abandon him.”

“I would never abandon the boss!” Mars exclaimed.

“I might not like everything he says, but I’m not turning my back on him either,” Jupiter said, turning her stern gaze on Charon’s face. “You spend more time with the boss than any of us. What has he told you?”

“I do not know the exact details as he has not confided in me, but I have put the pieces together. I cannot say what his endgame is – there is a high chance I could be wrong, and I would not want to put false ideas into your minds,” Charon said. The two women seemed satisfied with his answer. Charon wondered what words Cyrus had said to convince the girls to swear an oath to serve him. They believed every single lie he said, but Charon was not so easily swayed. He knew Cyrus’s end game was going to end in disaster. He had made sure it would by feeding the boss lies.

Jupiter snorted. “Well whatever the end game is we know he’ll never abandon us. He chose us to be part of the leadership team for a reason.” The corners of her mouth curved upwards into a satisfactory smirk. “The boss is here in Eterna City by the way, so I’d report to him about your success now instead of later.”

“He’s here in Eterna City?” Mars repeated.

Even Charon was surprised by that information. “Perhaps he does not trust you, Jupiter.”

“He’s checking out that statue in the middle of the city.” She jerked her head towards the door. “Go on, get out of here. If he sees you hanging around here slacking in your duties, he’ll place you on janitor duties for the next week,” she snapped.

“I’ll tell the boss!” Mars said.

Charon shook his head. “No, I will tell him. You started a battle against a child – you involved someone else in Galactic affairs. He will not be pleased. Let me tell him what happened.” Mars looked to argue back but she nodded. She left the building through the secret back door entrance which led into the nearby forest and Charon followed suit. Instead of venturing further into the Eterna Forest though, he made his way to Cyrus whom he found standing near the dragon statue.

Charon cleared his throat, drawing Cyrus’s attention. “Charon.”

“We succeeded… or should I say, Mars succeeded. We know it’s possible to harvest energy from a pokémon,” Charon said, moving closer. “But there is a problem.” His eyes never left the younger man’s face.

“What problem?”

“It seems the international police are onto us. They’ve recruited a girl to investigate our activities. It is an exceptionally good disguise I must say to use a child – who would suspect a child working for the international police?” He took another step closer, now within an arm’s length away from the boss. “She reminds me of you actually.”

Cyrus’s eyes narrowed. “In what way?”

What was her name again? Dawn? Yes, that was it. She looked young – Charon assumed by her youthful features she was probably around the age of twelve. No longer a child, but not yet a teenager either. He managed to keep a grin from appearing on his face. “She’s a cute kid. Dark blue hair, blue eyes… dark-type pokémon… any of this sound familiar?”

“No,” he replied. His expression may not have betrayed his inner thoughts, but his tone did. He answered the question a split second quicker than usual.

“She’s one of those new trainers – her pokémon are still young and inexperienced, but she’s a passionate fighter.” Cyrus turned his attention from Charon, moving them to the statue again. Charon moved to stand in his line of sight. “You’re avoiding the topic. Does it make you uncomfortable? I thought you didn’t feel.”

He knew that was going to touch a nerve. A muscle jerked in the boss’s jaw. “I want you to remain in Veilstone City. You will not leave unless I give you an order directly.”

His cold façade was starting to slip. The walls he had carefully built up over the years could easily be torn down if a weak spot were found. Charon pushed harder. “Why did you visit Lake Verity first? You could’ve visited the ones closer to our headquarters, but you chose to visit the one furthest way. You didn’t just visit Lake Verity to find Mesprit, did you?”

“You may be my most trusted commander, Charon, but I will not share everything with you.” He ran a hand through his hair, a sure sign of stress. No matter how hard a person tried, feelings could not be hidden.

Charon knew he was getting closer to the truth. He just had to try a little harder. “She’s yours, isn’t she? You can’t deny it – blue isn’t exactly a common colour here in Sinnoh, and don’t try to convince me that Saturn is her father… he would never have left.”

Cyrus was looking in Charon’s direction, but not directly at the older man. He was looking right past him as if he were not there at all. After a few moments of silence, Cyrus turned and around and walked away from the statue. Typical, Charon snorted.

“Your plan is doomed to fail, Cyrus. You can’t play God. You can be responsible for the creation of a new life and you can build a company from nothing, but that doesn’t make you a God.”

Cyrus stopped. With his brows furrowed, he glanced over his shoulder. “You know nothing, Charon.”

“I do,” Charon smiled. “I know more than you ever will which is why you hired me in the first place, yes? Your loyal commanders are beginning to lose faith in you… that is why they come to me for advice rather than ask you.” That was a lie of course – Charon always promised the other commanders he would ask for answers from the boss, but he never did. The other commanders always thought he had though because he was very convincing.

“They swore an oath to serve me,” Cyrus almost snarled.

Charon’s smirk widened. “You’re acting like a petulant child. This dream of yours… to create a new universe… is nothing more than a childish tantrum because you were mistreated when you were a child.”

Cyrus took a step towards Charon. “What did you call me?”

“A petulant child. You aren’t fit to rule a company, let alone your own universe. While you walk around examining statues and talking to lakes, I am putting your plan into motion. Without me at your side you would’ve failed a long time ago because that’s the only talent you seem to have.”

Talking to the boss in such a manner was something no other Galactic member would ever do – they feared Cyrus. Charon feared nothing – he had lived long enough to withstand the horrors of the world. Toying with the man’s fragile emotional state was always a lot of fun. He was just so easy to manipulate. It was almost like a game – how far could he push him before he broke.

“I am curious – maybe, maybe you will just prove me wrong. Perhaps you will create a new world in your image. That is why I wish to help.” Another lie. He just wanted to use Cyrus because the man had the strange ability to attract people, something Charon lacked. Once he had obtained the respect of the grunt, he could overthrow Cyrus and take control and turn Galactic into a force to be reckoned with.

“You…” he growled.

Charon just smirked. “I’m surprised to hear such anger in your tone, Cyrus. I thought you were above such… weak emotions?” He gave a light-hearted chuckle. “You might fool the others into believing you are perfect, but I will not be fooled. I am not stupid like the others you have hired.” Cyrus didn’t say anything. He seemed to be having an internal debate with himself judging by the confusion on his face. Charon continued, bowing his head. “I will take my leave and return to Veilstone City as you have requested.”

He turned to leave. Everything had worked in his favour and would continue to do so. Although Cyrus now knew he could not be trusted, he wasn’t going to release him from his services. Charon had become his most important tool – the man would be an even bigger fool if he let him go. It wouldn’t be too long before he had complete control.

“By the way, her name is Dawn.”

.

Stepping through the arch way of Eterna City was like taking a step back into history. The place had an ancient feel to it even though the buildings were modern in their design. From her position under the arch way she could see a rather large draconic statue on a gentle sloping hill. She made her way towards it curious to learn more about the mysterious object.

As she made her way to the statue, she made sure to observe her surroundings. Every time she entered a new city it was like entering a new world. The usual buildings were there – the pokémon Centre and the pokémart – but there were a few she did not recognize. There was a large multi-complex building in the north eastern part of the city and a bike shop down the main street. In terms of actual landscape scenery though there wasn’t much to look at. It was plain in comparison to the tiny town of Floaroma, but still captivating.

She didn’t make it far when someone crashed into her, almost knocking her off her feet. Dawn turned around to glare at the person who had crashed into her only to find Barry smiling at her. The boy was huffing and panting – there were beads of sweat on his forehead and patches of wet on his clothes, but the boy didn’t seem to care. He looked he had run a marathon. “Barry! It’s so good to see you!” Dawn said, throwing herself at Barry.

Barry beamed back. “You are so slow, Dawn!”

She rolled her eyes. “Unlike you, I like to take my time.”

He shrugged. “There’s no time for that. I’m going to be the first trainer in the world to beat all eight gym leaders in record time!” he boasted, grinning playfully. “If you make it to the end you’ll be known as the one who took the longest.”

“Haven’t you read the story about the buneary and the turtwig? The buneary might be much faster, but the turtwig won the race,” Dawn said, recalling on one of the stories her mother had read to her when she was a young child. Slow and steady wins the race.

“They’re just bedtime stories, Dawn. Besides, there are so many cool things to check out in each city, I just must get there in good time. It’s not my fault you can’t keep up with me. Maybe you should buy a bicycle – it’ll help you move faster.” He grinned again, amusement shining in his eyes. He reached down into his pocket and pulled out his badge case, revealing his two shiny gym badges. One was a badge she recognized having obtained the same one from Roark, but the second one she didn’t know. There was a label underneath it which read, ‘Forest Badge – Eterna Gym’. “Check it out!”

Forest Badge. That meant she’d be facing up against grass-type pokémon. She had a type-advantage thanks to Murkrow’s Peck attack, but would it be enough? She still hadn’t evolved any of her pokémon to the next level. Deino wasn’t due to evolve for quite some time and murkrow only evolved with the assistance of dusk stone. Gastly wasn’t ready to evolve into a haunter and turtwig still hadn’t evolved. According to her pokédex, turtwig should’ve evolved by now. She wondered if it had anything to do with the missing leaf on his head. Had it slowed his evolution process?

“Anyway, I hear there are some weird spacemen running around causing trouble. Someone managed to drive them away from Valley Windworks. I wish I were there to help but I had other things to do. Do you know who had?”

Dawn arched a brow. Barry moved so fast he missed out on many important details. “It was me. I stumbled upon them by accident, but I did drive them out.”

His jaw dropped. “That’s cool, Dawn! I guess that’s why you took so long to get here? It’s good what you did, but remember, beating gym leaders is your number one goal so don’t get too caught up in fighting the bad guys otherwise you’ll always be behind me!” He gave her a cheeky smile. Dawn just laughed. Barry might be impulsive and foolhardy, but he was still her best friend. She preferred his company over Lucas’s any day.

“Where are you off to next?”

He gazed upwards. “Uh… let me think… I’ll just check my map… I knew I circled it somewhere…” He glanced down at his bag, yanked the flap open and dug his arms in. His eyes widened. “Oh no, I left my map back at the Trainer’s School!”

Dawn had to laugh at the despair written on his face. The thought of having to retrace his steps back to Jubilife probably terrified him because it meant wasting time. “I guess that means I’ll have time to catch up with your progress… probably even overtake you,” she teased.

“No way, it won’t take me long. If I start running now, then I’ll get there by tomorrow at the latest. See you later, Dawn! Remember, don’t fall behind!” He sped away, his shoes kicking sand in her face.

Dawn coughed, closing her eyes as she swatted at the sand around her. Once the sand had cleared, she reopened her eyes again and spotted a blue haired man standing a couple of metres away. She recognized him immediately as the same guy she saw back in Lake Verity.

He didn’t push her aside this time rather, he stood in one spot studying her from afar. He then took a few brisk steps towards her which prompted Dawn to take a few back. “Dawn.” He spoke her name like it was some sort of foreign word to him.

Dawn raised her eyebrows. How did he know her name? “I remember you… you’re Cyrus.”

“You remembered.”

She looked at him, uncertain. Why was he talking to her now? “Is there anything I can help you with?” she said, trying to quell the nerves that were building within her. He didn’t look like a threat – at least, he didn’t look like one of those silly spacemen, but he still exuded this mysterious aura. She found herself drawn to him, like a moth drawn to a light.

“I wish to give you a gift,” he said slowly, beginning to walk around her.

Her eyes never left him. “A gift?” That wasn’t too odd since she had been receiving quite a few gifts in the recent days. “Why?”

“Must you ask so many questions?” He reached down into his pockets and pulled out a black stone. Dawn had never been interested in stones before, but she could appreciate its beauty. She reached her hand out and took the stone from him, surprised by the lightness of it. It was as big as her palm yet weighed as much as a feather. It was also rather warm to touch which was strange considering a stone wasn’t a living creature. “I have no need for it, but you might. It’s a dusk stone.”

A dusk stone? Weren’t they used for evolving murkrows? “Aren’t these stones supposed to be rare?” She didn’t expect to come across one until much later. _Perfect timing,_ she thought. But how had he known she could make use of it? Had he been… spying on her? That would explain how he knew her name. However, she wasn’t going to complain about receiving a free item. “Thanks.”

“Do not thank me.”

He continued to study her face then averted his gaze and turned around to walk away leaving a rather confused Dawn standing behind. She had a feeling she’d be crossing paths with him again. This was the second time in just a few days she had seen him. Placing the stone in her bag, she immediately made her way to the pokémon gym. Barry had told her to get on with it in the nicest way possible.

Pushing aside thoughts of her brief encounter with Cyrus, Dawn pushed open the doors and stepped inside the gym. The advisor she had met earlier was here too – did he run back and forth between gyms? How had he gotten here so fast? What a strange man, Dawn thought.

“I’m not surprised to see you here!” he smiled.

“What can you tell me about this gym?” She had a suspicion it was something to do with grass-types judging by the badge Barry had shown her, but she wanted to let the man do his job.

“Gardenia is the gym leader and she specializes in the grass-type!” He turned his head to the flower petal in the middle of the room. “Do you see that? You’ll have to use that to cross the moat to reach the gym leader! You can only do that by battling the trainers here though. Every time you defeat one, the petal moves. Don’t get too distracted by the scent of flowers – focus your mind on the battles ahead!” he said with a grin.

Now that he mentioned it, she could smell the flowers. The scent here was far stronger than in Floaroma Town. The colours were beautiful too. She felt at peace being inside the gym. Don’t get distracted, she told herself, as she approached the first trainer. Her name was Caroline.

The girl looked up at Dawn and gave her a brilliant smile. “It’s wonderful, isn’t it? Flowers are so beautiful, but it’s sad that some people can’t appreciate their beauty. Let’s battle!” She immediately moved her fingers to the belt around her waist, fingers wrapping around her first of two pokéballs. She flung it out.

Dawn threw out Murkrow. This should be a rather easy battle, she thought. All she had to do was take advantage of the grass-type pokémon’s weakness and she’d breeze through this gym. A pokémon which looked like a cherry appeared. It had a leaf stem on its head which had a secondary smaller head attached to it. Looking at the cute round pokémon, Dawn could see why grass-type pokémon weren’t taken seriously. She remembered to pull out her pokédex to obtain information on this strange pokémon.

_Cherubi. The small ball is not only full of nutrients, it is also tasty. Starly try to peck it off._

She lowered her arm and prepared to do battle.

“Go, Murkrow!” She threw out her avian. Murkrow flew in circles above her trainer’s head, his beady eyes focused on the target. Murkrow looked eager to test out his move, Wing Attack. “Murkrow, use Wing Attack!” Murkrow crowed, hovered in the air, and brought his wings together, sending forth a flurry of feathers in the direction of cherubi.

Upon impact, the cherubi was flung into the air. It sailed across the room, only stopping as it hit the eastern wall. “Use Tackle, Cherubi!” The cherry pokémon bounced forward, propelled itself into the air using its leaf and attacked. Cherubi attacked Murkrow but little happened. Murkrow shook the attack off.

“Finish it off with Peck, Murkrow!” Dawn ordered.

Murkrow flapped his wings eagerly, and swooped down, striking Cherubi in between the eyes before pulling away. The two cherubi heads groaned as it flopped down onto its side. “Oh no! My cute pokémon!” Caroline wailed, recalling her fainted cherubi to its ball. She threw out her second pokéball shooting Dawn a glare. “This time you’re going to lose.”

Dawn expected another cute grass-type pokémon to appear. This time a small, light green bipedal pokémon with three thorns on its head appeared. The pokémon waved its arms in the air as if they were maracas, except they were roses instead. One rose was crimson red and the other a deep shade of blue. Dawn scratched her nose. The pokémon’s dancing seemed to fill the air with an even stronger scent of flower.

_Roselia. The healthier the roselia, the more pleasant its flowers’ aroma. Its scent deeply relaxes people._

“Murkrow, use Wing Attack!”

This was proving to be far easier than the battle against Roark’s minions. At least their pokémon managed to inflict some form of damage on hers, but this was far too simple. No wonder Barry had breezed through this area. Murkrow brought his wings together and sent forth many piercing feathers to strike down the Roselia. Roselia uttered a high-pitched cry and shook its body, releasing toxins into the air.

The visible toxins merged to create a small cloud of poisonous gas. It moved towards the Murkrow shrouding it in poison. Murkrow tried to push the clouds away with his wings, but the cloud would not move. Murkrow turned a shade of purple as the cloud evaporated. Poisoned. Fortunately, Dawn had remembered to purchase some antidotes.

She rushed over to her pokémon’s aid and knelt to give Murkrow a dose of the antidote. Murkrow’s purple glow faded. The bird fluffed himself up and took to the air once again.

“Roselia, use Poison Sting!” A barbed seed erupted from the Roselia’s red rose. It hurtled towards Murkrow, striking him in the chest. Murkrow shuddered.

“Finish this battle, Murkrow! Use Wing Attack!” Murkrow sent another flurry of feathers in Roselia’s direction, his feathers digging deep into the Roselia’s body. Roselia released a groan and fell, landing on its back, its arms hanging loosely at its sides. Dawn threw a fist into the air. One trainer down and two more to go.

“Oh… my precious grass pokémon…” Caroline groaned. “But you won the battle and that means you can walk over the petal to reach the next trainer.” The flower sprung to life. The two petals of the flower moved in opposite directions until a bridge developed, connecting Dawn’s position to the trainer hiding on the eastern wall.

Dawn walked away from Caroline and carefully walked over the petal bridge. The flower was surprisingly very sturdy. She hopped off the bridge and approached the second trainer, her eyes scanning for a name tag. Jenna. “I see you defeated my little sister, but you won’t get past me! Your journey ends here, trainer! It’s triple battle time!” She threw out her three pokéballs.

This was certainly going to be an interesting triple battle. Would she use three of the same pokémon or a variety? “Murkrow, Deino and Gastly! Go for it!” Dawn exclaimed, releasing her pokémon from their pokéballs.

“Budew!” Three bipedal, rose-bud pokémon with bright yellow faces appeared. Dawn consulted her pokédex.

_Budew. The pre-evolved form of roselia. Sensitive to changing temperature, the bud is said to bloom when it feels the sun’s warm touch._

Budew uttered weak cries and shook themselves simultaneously, releasing pollen into the air. Dawn sneezed. She was really beginning to dislike these plant-type pokémon.

“Murkrow, use Wing Attack! Deino, use Dragon Rage! Gastly, use Night Shade!” Murkrow’s feathers rained down on the first budew causing the rose-bud pokémon to faint immediately. Deino roared and emitted a beam of draconic rage towards the second budew who fainted upon impact. Gastly’s new move caused the lights in the room to switch off as invisible hands almost squeezed the life out of the final Budew. The third budew fainted as the lights turned back on.

“You’re so mean! My poor baby Budews…” Jenna mumbled.

The flower petal machine whirred again. Once again, the petals moved to form another bridge connecting the eastern side to the western side. Dawn’s pokémon followed behind her as she made her way to the third trainer. If all the gyms in Sinnoh were this easy she’d become the new Champion in record time.

“You’ll have to beat me to reach Gardenia, but that’s not going to happen!” said Angela, pointing a finger at Dawn. “I’m the strongest of the gym trainers and the eldest of the sisters. This won’t be an easy fight.”

Dawn wasn’t too sure about that assumption because the previous battles had been rather easy. She sent out Murkrow to deal with her final obstacle. The quicker the battle was finished, the quicker she could move on. “Okay Murkrow, this is your battle!” Murkrow took to the air again, beating his wings rapidly, flying around in circles, cawing.

Angela summoned her only pokémon, a roselia, to the battlefield. “You won’t get past my roselia.”

“Murkrow, use Peck!” Murkrow flew up as high as he could go then swooped down, raking his talons and beak forward. His beak struck Roselia’s head, knocking the roselia over onto the ground. Roselia groaned with pain.

“Roselia, use Magical Leaf!” Roselia picked itself up from the ground and lunged forward, throwing a punch with its red rose hand. Red petals hurtled towards Murkrow, covering the avian in red petals eventually dragging the bird down. Murkrow fell to the ground, but shrugged off the petals, as if they were made of paper. Didn’t the lady know not to use grass-type moves against a flying-type?

“Use Wing Attack!” Murkrow happily obliged. He jumped back into the air and flapped his wings, then brought them together sending forth many feather arrows. They pierced the roselia’s fragile body causing the plant pokémon to emit a pained gasp. Roselia flopped to the ground. _Another victory for me,_ thought Dawn.

“I made the mistake of underestimating your pokémon. Go now and face off against the toughest trainer in Eterna City, Gardenia.” Angela retrieved her pokémon as Dawn made her way back to the petal. The petals moved again forming another bridge, this time bridging the western and northern side. She made her way across the petals and approached Gardenia.

The woman’s attire was far less feminine than the other ladies in the gym, having opted to dress in an outdoorsy fashion. She wore a loose-fitting green top which exposed her flat stomach and orange baggy shorts. She looked like she was ready to go camping in that attire.

“Hi, I’m Gardenia! I’m this town’s gym leader! My last challenger was this awfully speedy young guy… His name was Barry. He told me about you. He said that there were other challengers on the way, so that made me angsty. When I first saw you step through the door, I was convinced you’d find your way to me. My hunch was right on the money. You have a winning aura about you. So, anyway, this will be fun. Let’s have our battle!”

Dawn took in a couple of deep breaths and braced herself for battle.

Much to her surprise, Gardenia had a turtwig in her possession as well. Had she received the turtwig from the professor or had she obtained it by other means? Perhaps Gardenia would know why her turtwig hadn’t evolved yet, but now wasn’t the time to worry about it. She had a gym badge to obtain. “Murkrow, use Peck!”

Murkrow flew around in circles above the turtwig’s head as if it were making fun of the slower pokémon. Gardenia’s turtwig tried to attack Murkrow, but the pokémon was far too slow to land an attack. Murkrow dove down and tapped the baby tortoise on its head causing the opponent to wince.

“Turtwig, use Grass Knot!”

Unlike her turtwig, Gardenia’s one still had a leaf. A web made of leaves burst from the turtwig’s mouth trapping Murkrow within. Murkrow crashed to the ground, fighting desperately to free himself from its trap. The web tightened around Murkrow’s body, squeezing it until Murkow paled. Only then did the web break apart. Murkrow struggled to climb to his feet, but the avian seemed in condition to continue battling.

“Use Wing Attack, Murkrow! Take down that turtwig now!”

Murkrow stretched his wings and lifted himself up into the air and sent a flurry of feathers down at his target. Feathers pierced the turtwig’s body inflicting a great deal of pain upon the pokémon. Turtwig swayed from side to side until he rolled over onto his shell, his stumpy legs waving around in the air.

“You’re good,” Gardenia commented, returning her turtwig back to its pokéball. “Let’s see how you’ll fare against my next pokémon. Go, Cherrim!” What looked to be like a giant cherry with a purple covering appeared from Gardenia’s second pokéball. Dawn held up her pokédex to obtain data.

_Cherrim. The evolved form of cherubi. If it senses strong sunlight, it opens its folded petals to absorb the sun’s rays with its whole body._

“Murkrow, use Wing Attack!” For the second time during this battle against Gardenia, Murkrow used Wing Attack. Feathers rained down upon the cherrim, cutting into its purple leaf covering. The Cherrim was tougher than it looked though and remained standing.

“Cherrim, use Magical Leaf!” The leaves on the cherrim’s head turned into a rainbow of colours. Cherrim swayed around in a circle, gathering speed, then thrusted forward, hurling several leaves in Murkrow’s direction. Having battled all the matches so far, Murkrow no longer had any energy left. He fell to the ground, his eyes closed.

“I’m so sorry, Murkrow…” Dawn murmured. She returned Murkrow to her pokéball and sent forth Deino. If any pokémon on her team could win the match in one hit, it was her Deino’s Dragon Rage attack. The dragon roared and gnashed his jaws at the air. “Deino, use Dragon Rage!” Deino opened his mouth. Seconds later, a purple beam of draconic energy exited his mouth, striking the cherrim, causing it to faint immediately.

Gardenia lifted a brow. “It’s not the end yet.” She returned Cherrim then threw out her final pokéball. A pokémon that looked like a more mature version of a roselia appeared, fanning itself with its petals. The only major difference between the roselia and the roserade was the tuft of white hair made of roses sitting on its head.

_Roserade. The evolved form of Rroselia. Each of its hands contains different toxins, but both hands can jab with near-fatal power._

She put it away into her bag and braced herself for what was going to be a tough match. All she needed was to land one Dragon Rage and she’d win, but would it be that easy?

“Roserade, use Poison Sting!”

Roserade slammed its two petal hands together, forcing a poisonous barb to burst out. It hurtled through the air and pierced Deino’s chest. Deino growled. The poisonous barb sunk further into his skin turning Deino a shade of purple. Dawn immediately searched through her bag only to realize she had no more antidotes left.

“Hang in there, Deino! Use Dragon Rage!” Deino sent forth another beam of Dragon Rage, but the roserade simply tumbled out of the way. Dawn bit her bottom lip. The battle wasn’t going to be that easy.

“Roserade, use Magical Leaf!”

Raising its two petal hands above its head, Roserade shook them until each petal turned into one of the seven colours of a rainbow. The leaves rocketed through the air, each leaf hitting Deino with a fair amt of force. With each hit, Deino stumbled backwards. Thankfully, Deino had enough endurance to withstand the attack. “Deino, use Dragon Rage again!” Roserade danced out of the away, successfully evading the attack by an inch.

“Roserade, use Grass Knot!”

The bipedal pokémon rushed forward, leapt into the air and threw down a web of leaves. Deino wasn’t fast enough to move out of the way and became entangled. He thrashed, trying to break free, but the web was strong. The web of leaves constricted the dragon leaving him breathless, but still in a condition to fight.

“Use Dragon Rage, Deino!” She crossed her fingers. Third time lucky, she thought. Deino sent forth another beam of draconic rage and this time, it met its target. All the dancing around must’ve drained the Roserade of some energy because its movements were a few seconds slower than before. The sheer power of the beam drove Roserade into the nearby wall. Deino twitched as the poison continued to seep through his veins. One more hit, Dawn thought. Just one more lucky hit.

“Use Grass Knot, Roserade!”

Roserade leapt into the air again and threw down another web. Once again, Deino found himself covered in web. There had to be a way to free her dragon before the web did its damage. The web snared its victims… could the web be broken before it inflicted damage? “Deino, use Bite on the web!” Deino opened his mouth and clamped his small fangs around a string of leaves. He chewed, looking somewhat disgusted, but continued to do so until he had opened a large enough hole to scramble through.

“Oh darn,” Gardenia wailed.

“Finish this battle with Dragon Rage!”

Deino sent forth a mighty beam. The beam of energy slammed into the roserade’s belly. Roserade was knocked off its feet and thrown into the wall it had contacted before. It slid down the wall, falling face first into the ground. Dawn wiped her brow. “Phew,” she murmured.

“Amazing!” Gardenia exclaimed, recalling Roserade to its pokéball. She walked over to Dawn, a wide smile on her face. “You are really tough! Wasn’t it hard for you to raise your pokémon to be so good? I guess that’s a measure of how much you love your pokémon. In recognition of that, I proudly grant you this!” She reached into the pockets of her shorts and pulled out a shiny gym badge.

“Thanks,” Dawn said.

“If there’s one thing I can tell about you, it’s this! You and your pokémon are gonna get even tougher, and I mean seriously! Here, take this potion as well. It contains the move Cut.” Dawn waved goodbye to Gardenia and made her way back to the entrance of the gym. Before going anywhere further, she was going to have to heal her pokémon.


	9. Shades of Grey

Hearthome City was the last place in Sinnoh Cyrus wanted to visit – it was loud, it was colourful and full of annoying people. Today, it was worse than usual. It was just his luck that pop icon Marina was arriving. That meant more annoying people to deal with. Some of his grunts had wanted the day off just to get a glimpse of the girl, but Cyrus had threatened them with a week of janitor duties should he find any of them slacking off. That’s why he was here now to ensure there were no slackers around.

He had some form of respect for Marina – she was a leader in her own way, having influenced a mass group of people to worship her every action. All she had to do was parade around like a fool onstage in ridiculous clothes and sing nonsensical lyrics into a microphone to get thousands of people to love her. People sacrificed everything just to get a glimpse of her. It was revolting, really.

Marina’s arrival was perfect though. It gave his Galactic grunts and commanders extra time to complete their simple tasks without attracting the attention of the authorities. It also gave him protection. No one would suspect him of suspicious behaviour if he blended in with the crowd and pretended to act normal. Besides, being here gave him some time to himself to reflect on Charon’s words about Dawn.

How she reminded him so much of her mother. She had inherited her mother’s dark blue hair and the dark blue of her eyes, but he could see himself in her as well, such as the structure of the face. He wondered what other similarities they shared? He repeated her name in his head. It wasn’t a name he’d choose for her if he had chosen, but he couldn’t change it now.

“Oh my Arceus, that’s her, Rihanna! It’s Marina!” One of the young girls standing nearby squealed. He cringed at the noise. Did they have to scream so loud? “She actually got to meet Lance! How lucky is she? I wish I could meet him… he’s so dreamy…”

Her friend, Rihanna, jumped up and down, her blonde pigtails bouncing. “I got my question answered by Lance himself thanks to Marina!” Cyrus felt himself pushed aside as the two girls made their way through the crowd. Although they were now a few feet away, he could still hear their comments.

“He’s the hottest Champion! I would totally love to get my hands on him…”

Rihanna nodded. “I know, right? I would love to see what he looks like without that sexy cape on.”

Cyrus wished he could block out their annoying voices. He didn’t care what Lance looked like without his cape on. All he wanted was a place to stay for the night. The crowd surged forward again as more people tried to force their way to the front. Someone rammed into his back with their elbow. He spun around immediately and spotted one of his female grunts.

She wasn’t wearing the uniform, but he could recognize that dumb bowl haircut anywhere. Her hazel eyes widened as her lips parted open. “Boss?” she whimpered.

He glared down at her. She seemed to shrink in size. “Did you hope to fool me by changing out of your uniform?” He didn’t bother keeping his voice low. He could hardly hear himself talk with all the fangirling going on around him. Another teenage girl bumped into him. “You will be punished accordingly for neglecting your duty. Head back to the base and do whatever Charon commands you to do.”

“Why are you here, boss?”

“Rule number one, do not ask questions.”

She nodded, eyes welling up with tears. She turned around and navigated her way through the crowd. He turned back around. It was a bad idea to have come here. His irritation levels were growing at a rapid rate. “Fashion coordinator of Twinleaf Town coming through! Excuse me!” Once again, he felt someone push into his back.

He glanced over his shoulder and spotted a familiar blue haired female trying to navigate her way through. “Johanna.”

At the mention of her name she froze. She peered up at him. “Cyrus?” she whispered. “What are you doing here?” She didn’t sound too thrilled to see him. In fact, she seemed eager to get away from him as fast as possible since she went back the way she had come. He grabbed her arm holding her in place and drew her back towards him.

“You and I need to talk. Alone.”

She paused then said, “Follow me.”

.

Fantina prowled the aisles of the shopping centre searching for something that would spice up her outfit. The most glamorous of stars were rumoured to be visiting Hearthome City and Fantina knew she couldn’t pass this opportunity up. It wasn’t often superstars from other regions visited Sinnoh – most people preferred to remain in their own regions where they felt at home rather than go exploring.

But Marina was visiting, and she was bringing along with her the latest fashion trends in her homeland of Johto. Marina was known mostly for being the administrator of the Lance Fan Club, but she was also a popular actress, model, and a singer. She had access to all the latest fashion designs and could get anyone a backstage pass to a special event. Of course, she only gave special permission to people she liked so Fantina made sure to keep the bubbly girl on her good side.

Marina wasn’t the main reason she was shutting down the gym for a temporary period. There was an imbalance in the Spirit World, and she needed to consult with other walkers about its meaning. Besides, it wasn’t as if there was anyone worthy to battle anyway – the last challenger who had reached her gym failed to make it past the starting gym trainer and that was well over three months ago.

Fantina made her way to the Super Contest Hall where a large crowd of eager fans were stationed outside. She pushed her way past, not caring at all if she rubbed some of the fans the wrong way. She did not care about them at all – there was no common trainer worthy enough of her attention, let alone her respect. Some of the fans grumbled, but Fantina didn’t stop until she had reached the entrance. The security guards stepped aside allowing the gym leader within the halls of the infamous building.

“You finally made it,” said a male voice from behind her, prompting Fantina to glance over her shoulder immediately. He was shorter than herself and younger by a couple of years, but she saw him as her equal. He specialized with the ghost-types and he too could traverse the Spirit World where most could not. “I hope this is worth it. I do have rather important matters to attend to back home,” he added, arms crossed over his chest, calm eyes boring into hers.

“You’re as welcoming as ever Morty,” Fantina replied curtly. “I didn’t invite you to attend this event just to socialize – I wanted to talk to you about the uneasiness in our world. The pokémon in the Lost Tower are unsettled and you know as well as I do that is not a promising sign of good fortune for the people of Sinnoh.” She grabbed a chair and sat down and motioned for Morty to follow. He took a seat across from her.

He leaned back in his chair. “These are troubling times for us all. Team Rocket has reformed, Ho-Oh has still not returned to the Bell Tower and our Champion acts like a spoilt child while Red continues to hide. Whatever threatens Sinnoh can’t be as dangerous as the black cloud that hangs over Johto and Kanto.” He readjusted his scarf.

“The issues that trouble your land are the faults of your people. Your ‘Champion’ is nothing more than an arrogant bull-headed fool who thinks the world revolves around himself.” She sighed and took in a deep breath. “There is a dark force at work here and it grows stronger with each passing day. Malevolent spirits are searching for the one who will release the shadow beast from the chains that bind him. The world as we know it will cease to exist.”

“You are being overly dramatic.”

She placed a hand on his. “I am being cautious.”

Morty pulled his hand away. “What do you see?”

“I was hoping you would venture into the realm with me to see it for yourself.” She offered her hand and he took it with hesitance. An adventure in the Spirit World was never to be treated lightly. One mistake and a trainer would lose their minds forever, consumed by the spirits that roamed the realm. The Spirit World allowed a ghost-type trainer to see true nature of the souls of the living around them.

There were three glows visible in the realm. The pure emitted a white glow, the tainted had a grey hue and the impure radiated a purple aura. Fantina had traversed the realm many times to track down the unworthy, but it was always dangerous. Hostile spirits belonging to the deceased patrolled the realm searching for a weak heart to prey upon. If a ghost-type trainer failed to protect their mind they would fall to the power of a hostile spirit. The results were not pretty.

Fantina had once laid her eyes upon a fellow trainer being disembowelled by a couple of haunters. The pair had drained the trainer of life, while they ripped apart his flesh, discarding the bones while feasting on his organs. A death in the Spirit World was not a death in the real world, but it came close. A victim often lost control of their body rendering them useless.

It was a truly frightening experience to witness. Fantina did not wish such a foul act even upon her worst enemy. Being trapped in your body while your mind was alive was far worse than death itself. Fantina curled her fingers around Morty’s right hand and closed her eyes. To enter the Spirit World, a ghost-type trainer must consume a spoonful of blood of a ghost-type pokémon. Blood wasn’t easily obtained however as it required a powerful bond between master and pokémon.

Consuming just a spoonful allowed the trainer to enter through a rift for a short period of time. Failure to exit the world within the time limit meant the trainer was stuck in the Spirit World forever. A maximum of one hour could be spent here. Fantina summoned her mismagius as Morty summoned Gengar.

“I hope you make this worth my while,” Morty said, turning to face Gengar. He gave his pokémon the order to cut itself and Gengar willingly obliged, dragging his sharp fingers into his flesh. A trickle of ghost blood (a sort of clear misty liquid) leaked out of the wound. Morty placed his hands underneath the wound and caught a few drops as Fantina did the same with Mismagius. Once there was enough blood, Fantina brought her hand to her mouth and licked it. Immediately, she felt a wave of nausea grip her mind.

Drinking even a tiny amount of a ghost-type pokémon’s blood brought on quite several side effects. Headaches and nausea were the most common symptoms, but it also influenced vision, hearing, and a person’s sense of smell. For a short period of time, a trainer could see through walls, hear voices from within a mile’s radius and could smell decomposing flesh.

Morty brought a hand to his head and winced. “You owe me, Fantina.”

A fog door appeared before them – the rift entrance to the Spirit World. Fantina stepped through the rift first and Morty followed close behind, their hands clasping each other. The Spirit World was generally visited alone – if a trainer wanted to invite someone into their world, they had to share some form of physical contact and not break it for the duration of their visit.

“This is your version of the Spirit World? A misty pine forest?” Morty said.

“It seems fitting.”

“My adventures in the Spirit World takes place in the forest around the Bell Tower,” Morty responded.

Fantina didn’t reply – she ventured deeper into the forest ignoring the pure souls that walked past them. What was important were the souls that were impure and tainted for they were the ones most likely to cause collateral damage. Souls had no faces so it was hard to put names to faces in the real world, but an aura could be felt if within range. It came down to luck when it came to making correct assumptions.

She came to an abrupt stop, pulling Morty behind a thick tree and covered his mouth. A spirit with a purple hue walked by, carrying a blood-stained spear in its right hand. It weaved in between the trees and stopped before another spirit with a white glow then plunged its weapon into the white spirit’s back. The purple spirit devoured the other one, turning its colour a deeper shade of purple.

“What in the name of Arceus…” Fantina head Morty mutter.

A spirit was devouring other spirits in the realm. In the real world that meant someone was using others for their own gain, but to what end exactly? Fantina couldn’t tell. “We have to get out there before the spirit sees us. Keep your guard up. We are not safe here.”

.

“What troubles you, Cynthia? It is not like you to wear a frown,” Steven said, sitting down in the chair across from her. They were currently seated at one of the popular cafes in Jubilife City as Steven had dropped by to visit the developers at the Pokétch Company.

Cynthia leaned put her menu aside. “You once said that darkness spreads… I believe that darkness has reached my homeland.” She crossed her right leg over her right then leaned forward, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Have you heard of the name Cyrus before?” she said, looking directly into the man’s eyes.

Steven looked thoughtful. “I can’t recall the name… Cyrus… Hmmm… Wait… It does sound familiar… Blue hair, right?”

She nodded. “I think he is the darkness that you were warning me about. I met with him earlier and he was rambling on about a world devoid of spirit. But that is impossible, isn’t it? You can’t rid of the world of feeling.” She tilted her head to the right studying Steven’s face.

The man was only a few years older than herself, but he was far more experienced in these matters since he had dealt with criminals before. He was also an intelligent man having spent quite several years exploring ruins, studying ancient relics of the past to understand the present better. If anyone knew what Cyrus’s true intentions Steven would know.

“The name does sound familiar now that you mention it… I met his grandparents while I was in Sunyshore one time.” Cynthia lifted her brows at this piece of information. Cyrus lived in Sunyshore? “They were nice to me. They invited me into their home, and we sat down and had some tea. We discussed my work and my plans. They mentioned Cyrus’s name quite often. A brilliant mind they said, but a troubled one.”

A young lady carrying her iced chocolate came over and placed it on the table. There was a mountain of cream on the top like she had said. Picking up her spoon, she scooped up some cream and brought it to her mouth, relishing in the flavour. Her grandmother wouldn’t approve of her taste in drink, but she wasn’t present, so it didn’t matter. “Troubled?”

Steven frowned. “It wasn’t my place to pry for details, but they mentioned their grandson had been kicked out of home by his parents.”

“His parents?”

Steven nodded. “It’s a sad tale, but I will tell you if it clears your mind.” Cynthia nodded. Learning the facts about the man’s history would help her understand him better to see if he were a threat or not. “His father was a scientist who was interested in energy sources and his mother was just a housewife. The father came up with the idea to use windmills to generate electricity for the cities in Sinnoh securing his place as the richest man in Sinnoh’s history. But he wanted more and sought to find other alternatives to creating electricity.”

“What happened then?” Cynthia said, taking another scoop of whipped cream from her iced chocolate. The waitress came back a few moments later with Steven’s beef burger and orange juice. Another waitress arrived seconds afterwards with Cynthia’s garden salad. She took the menus and walked away.

Steven took a bite out of his burger then put it down after swallowing. He helped himself to some juice then continued. “He became obsessed with finding a new source it started to put a strain on his relationship with his wife. He refused to communicate with her unless he needed something. He’d spend his days locked up in his office working on solutions while his wife took care of the household duties. She planned to divorce the man, but that all changed when she found out she was pregnant.”

“She stayed with him then.”

He nodded. “Yes, she did. She was miserable with him, but she didn’t want to raise her child without a father figure present. A trimester later, a baby boy was born. They called him Cyrus. His father wanted him to follow in his footsteps. While most kids were playing outside with their friends and pokémon, Cyrus remained indoors with his father studying. It wasn’t the bonding moment one would expect though – his father was quick to anger.”

“He mistreated his family?”

He pressed his lips together in a grim smile. “He was a man who could not tolerate failure. He became accustomed to beating his wife every time she argued with his opinion and he punished his son in the same fashion because he failed to keep up. His father informed his colleagues his son brought shame to the family name and he wanted him disowned. When Cyrus reached the age of ten, his father kicked him out of home because he couldn’t tolerate the sight of failure. All he had was a zubat given to him by his mother.”

Cynthia’s gaze softened. It explained why Cyrus seemed to despise emotions so much. “What happened to the mother?”

Steven paused, taking another bite of his burger. He wiped his mouth clean and frowned. “She died. She didn’t want to live with a monster, so she took her own life instead of seeking a fresh start. She poisoned her husband then she poisoned herself unable to live with the crime she had committed. His grandparents regret having done nothing to help. Cyrus disappeared. It was believed he had met a tragic death himself, but he was found by Professor Rowan a few years later.”

“Professor Rowan knew him?”

“For a short time, yes. He was responsible for introducing his niece Johanna to Cyrus. He thought she could help him. Cyrus didn’t stick around for too long – he claimed he was going to achieve something his father could not and left.” Steven rubbed his chin.

This was a lot of information to absorb. Cynthia felt her head spin just thinking about it. Johanna was Professor Rowan’s niece… Professor Rowan introduced Cyrus to Johanna… Cyrus left shortly afterwards to surpass his father… Her grandmother seemed to really detest Dawn’s father… A sudden thought dawned on her. It was a troubling thought. Dawn’s father was Cyrus. 

She stood up from her seat abruptly, knocking her iced chocolate over in the process. The glass fell and rolled off the table and landed on the ground, breaking into hundreds of different pieces. Other guests in the outdoor area of the café glanced in her direction. Steven looked up, alarmed. “Cynthia?”

“I need to find Dawn.”

Steven sat up and grabbed Cynthia’s arm. “What’s wrong?”

She was aware the other guests were watching. Fortunately, the other guests did not rush over to ask for autographs. They knew not to ask a well-known name for autographs and photos in an eating area. “It all makes sense to me now...”

His grip tightened. “Sit down, Cynthia. Please,” he said softly. “The other guests are watching.” He jerked his head to the right. Indeed, everyone was watching her. Thank Arceus the media weren’t around otherwise she’d be all over the news. She could just imagine the title, ‘Champion has a public meltdown’ or even worse, ‘Cynthia has a meltdown. Ex-Champion Steven comforts her. Possible romance?’

Cynthia took in a couple of deep breaths and sat down calming herself down. It did nothing to slow her racing heartbeat. Carolina had said Dawn’s father was a dangerous man. What sort of danger was Dawn in? Was Team Galactic involved in this mess somehow? “I need to return to Eterna City, Steven.”

“Not until you tell me what is going on. Who is Dawn? And who is Galactic?”

She searched her mind for answers. She barely knew much about Galactic – up until recently, they hadn’t done anything wrong, but that appeared to be changing. But why now? Why make themselves known to the public as a force to be reckoned with? “They’re criminals…” she said slowly, piecing together the information she had received from newspapers and television programmes. “They claim to be searching for alternate energy sources…” Just like Cyrus’s father had intended do… Was Cyrus the man behind the creation of Galactic? It had been her who had signed the contract to allow them to build their buildings.

Steven frowned, concern taking hold of his features. “Team Rocket? Team Aqua? Team Magma?”

Cynthia shook her head. “No, they’re worse. Team Rocket was fuelled by greed and money. Team Aqua and Team Magma’s leaders were extreme environmentalists… Galactic want to create an entirely new universe…” That’s why they were searching for alternate energy sources so they could somehow generate enough power to create an entirely new universe.

“And Dawn?”

“Dawn is Johanna’s daughter. Cyrus’s daughter.”

Steven raised his head slightly. “You think he’s going to use her?”

“I swore I would protect Dawn from harm.”

“You don’t know if he will harm her.”

“I’m not taking any risks. I’ve known Dawn since her birth.” Cynthia rose from her seat again. “I may not have been with her as much as I would’ve liked, but she’s like a sister to me. I need to tell her the truth before he does.” She rubbed her temples. Throughout her three-year reign as Champion, never had she faced something as great as this. “Goodbye, Steven.” She hurried away from the café leaving Steven alone to clean up her mess. She hoped she wasn’t too late.

.

Johanna led him inside the building which thankfully, was much quieter. Several security members walked over to approach Johanna. “Excuse me, madam. We will need to validate your pass. The doors aren’t open to the public yet,” said the first officer.

She nodded and pulled out her VIP card. The second officer brought his face close and read the words on it. “You may pass, Johanna.” The security guards turned to face him next. Unlike Johanna, he didn’t have a pass. Were they going to drag him out?

“We need to see your pass as well.”

Johanna clung onto his arm. “He’s my partner.”

The first officer gave her a suggestive smile. “Most of the rooms are booked out already, but there are a few… rooms left.” The other guard chuckled. “Please enjoy your stay. I hope you both enjoy the show. It’s going to be a great one.” The guards walked away, their laughter filling the air. Cyrus glared daggers at their backs. What were they laughing about?

“Don’t worry about them, they’re just doing their job,” Johanna said, leading him over towards the counter. A lady with bright baby blue eyes gave them a dazzling smile revealing her brilliant white teeth. “We’d like to book a room, please,” Johanna said. “It’s just the two of us.”

The lady grinned and winked. “We’ve only got a couple of honey room suites left. Will that be all right?”

Cyrus opened his mouth to argue that it would not be all right, but Johanna answered first. She smiled and nodded. “That’ll be perfectly fine, thank you.” She signed a few papers for the receptionist then dragged Cyrus up the stairs and towards the suite section, after putting the key in her pocket. “Don’t say anything. You wanted to talk in private… this is as private as it gets.”

They reached the room which had ‘69’ engraved on the front. _As if this couldn’t get even more humiliating,_ Cyrus thought. Johanna inserted the key and turned it clockwise then stepped inside. He followed, and she closed it quickly and locked it. She moved away to him and immediately sat down on the king size double bed and gazed around the room.

He followed her eyes. The room wasn’t that bad although it did leave him feeling a little uncomfortable. Their room was the third and final floor and one of the largest rooms. They even had their own private balcony overlooking Hearthome City. “Not bad, not bad at all…” Johanna mused, running her hands across the surface of the bed. “It’s quite firm.”

Cyrus searched around the room for a sofa. He had hoped to sleep on the couch while she had the bed, but there was nothing except for two non-reclining white armchairs and a glass table. Sleeping on the floor wasn’t preferable either since the floor was tiled. He didn’t have any other option other than to share the same bed. It was a big bed, but the design was all wrong.

There were six pillows in total. Four of them were the standard white ones, but the two smaller ones were red and designed in the shape of a love heart. There was even a matching red strip across the stretching across the middle of the bed and underneath it was two overlapping hearts made of hearts. That wasn’t the worst – the bed had its own curtain to make sharing the bed feel more intimate.

There was no way he was getting on that. He’d rather sleep outside and catch a cold.

“What did you need to talk to me about that was so important it needed to be done in complete privacy?” Johanna said, looking up at him. She lay back down and made herself comfortable, stretching her slender body across the bed.

He sat down on one of the armchairs. “Dawn.”

Johanna immediately bolted upright. “How did… What did you tell her?”

“She doesn’t know if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“You didn’t hurt her.”

“No,” he said firmly.

“I know your… slaves are running around the region creating trouble. Professor Rowan told me about the incident he had with some of your men,” she said sharply. “If I find out that they laid one hand on my baby I will…” She stopped short. Obviously, she hadn’t thought the rest of her sentence through.

“I have no intentions of bringing harm to her. You have my word, Johanna.” After all, why would he want to bring harm to someone who had his blood running through their veins? Dawn was partially his creation.

She didn’t seem convinced. “You can’t always be there to keep your slaves in line.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed. “I will have no part in your schemes, but please, I beg of you, do not involve our daughter in your affairs.” She paused for a few moments letting the impact of her words sink in before speaking again. “Do you know how desperate she is to find you? I pray the day never comes when learns of your identity. It will devastate her.”

He stood up from the armchair and slowly wandered over to Johanna. “I can’t make any promises.” He turned around and made his way over to the kitchen area when he felt her presence directly behind him. Holding back a sigh, he turned back around and added, “You must understand that I-” Johanna pulled her hand back then drew it forward, slapping him in the face. He growled, grabbed both her wrists, and flung her down onto the bed.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She thrashed in place, trying her hardest to pry herself free, but she couldn’t throw his weight off her. “You promised!” she spat.

He climbed on top of her, using his entire weight to keep her pinned down. “You never let me finish. I can only do so much to protect her but my… slaves as you call them… will not be so kind.” He reached down to her face and wiped away her tears. She sniffed. “I’m asking you to trust me, Johanna. Can you do that?”

“I…”

“You’ll be safe. Dawn will be safe. There will be no need to cry, no reason for sorrow. We’ll live in a better place. I just need you to trust me like you did all those long years ago.” He studied her face, noting there was a mixture of fear and desire in her eyes. She feared him, but at the time, she didn’t want him to leave. He could make her submit to him.

She trembled. “What are you…” Her sentence was cut off abruptly as he leaned down to kiss her neck, eliciting a pleasurable moan from her. “Oh…” He relaxed his grip on her arms and she lifted them up, wrapping them around his back, pulling him down as close as possible. She lifted her head and brushed her lips against his. At that very moment, he felt an overriding passion for her run through his veins. 

The ugly feeling of desire, lust and power were far too strong to ignore. He hated himself for being so imperfect, a slave to feeling, but he had to see this through to the end. His resolve weakened. Lowering his head to her neck again, he kissed the exposed skin, a moan escaping her throat. She felt his fingers trail down her sides, over her hips then upwards again, his fingers making their way behind her back to find the zipper.

She brought a hand to his hair, running her fingers through it, while she brought her other hand around to her zipper to help him undo it. He pushed her down onto the bed and proceeded to remove his clothing, while she did her best to undo hers. Looking down at her, he propped himself up and studied her physique for a couple of moments, then grasped her legs to pull her up. He entered inside her and began to thrust with slow deep strokes. He settled himself into a rhythm then increased his movements, his breaths becoming faster and shallower. Johanna clawed at his back, as he continued thrusting into her, a deep groan soon leaving his throat, as he released inside her. 

Giving himself into these ugly feelings, these emotions of desire and lust, would no longer be a concern soon. She moaned again, calling his name, as she reached her peak. The woman beneath him still loved him, despite everything, even though she pretended she didn’t care. Love. Another meaningless emotion. It only led to pain and more grief. He collapsed on top of her, exhausted. He lay there for a few moments, then pulled himself out, and went to go and redress. Johanna remained stretched out on the bed. He looked at her again.

There’d soon be a day when none of this matter anymore, a day when all emotions ceased to exist.


	10. Tensions

Dawn skipped out of the gym, happy to get away from the smell of flowers. Flowers were pretty to look at but being around them too long affected her in a bad way. It made her nose run and her throat itch and neither of those things was pleasant to experience. She immediately made her way to the gym to rest up her pokémon when she was approached by a pretty slender red-haired lady with brilliant jade green eyes.

“You defeated the gym leader, Gardenia, didn’t you?”

Dawn nodded. “Yes.”

The woman sighed with relief. “Thank goodness! Arceus has answered my prayers!” She motioned for Dawn to come closer then pointed to the building in north western corner. “My husband is in there! Some people in spacemen clothing knocked him unconscious and dragged him to the building! You must save him, please!”

 _What was it with these Galactic people abducting people anyway?_ It was almost like they were aliens from out of space. She nodded again, flicking a strand of hair away from her eyes. It wasn’t like she was new to this – she had faced the Galactic grunts on quite a few occasions now. “I will rescue your husband.”

“Thank you, thank you so much!”

Dawn walked away from the sobbing lady and headed to the pokémon centre. She wasn’t going to make it much further without resting them up after all. Once they were healed, she exited the building and made her way over to the building. It was a rather imposing figure of four storeys tall, dwarfing all the other buildings in the city. It even had its own helipad deck on top. Whoever had this place built obviously had a lot of money in possession to have such an impressive structure built.

She took a few more steps towards the building and noticed there were a couple of prickly bushes surrounding the building. Someone had obviously gone to great lengths to ensure it was hard to enter… and exit as well unless they had a means of flying. The bushes were tall as well, reaching up to her shoulders. The Galactic grunts must’ve had a difficult time getting past the bushes, but she suspected their uniforms made it far more bearable.

She wished she had an extra pair of miner’s clothing attire right now. “Here goes nothing,” she said, slowly reaching her hand forward, to part the bushes. Thorns brushed up against her skin causing her to jerk her arm back. She yelped and glanced down to examine the damage. The damage was minimal fortunately, but her arm was bleeding now. Dawn cursed. Just her luck.

Opening her bag, she reached a hand down, searching for a couple of first aid equipment. Her hand brushed up against some bandages. She grabbed the large roll, laid her bag on the floor, and did her best to wrap it around her arm to cover the wounds to prevent any infection. Once her arm was bandaged up, she picked up her bag again and stared at the prickly bush. How was she supposed to get past these plants? She didn’t have a pokémon that could burn them down… She needed a gardening snipping tool, something to cut down the bushes….

Wait.

Turtwig was a plant eating pokémon. He could eat his way through or knock them down at least with an attack. Either option would work. She summoned Turtwig. Turtwig was happy to be outside of his ball since it had been quite a few days since she last let him out. He peered up at her, his head tilted to the right. “We have to enter this building to save a shop keeper, but these plants are in the way.” Turtwig turned to look at the plants. He moved forward and opened his mouth, placing it around the stem of a plant. He started chewing through the stem. Surprisingly, the thorns did not bother her pokémon at all.

Turtwig continued to munch through the stems until all the plants fell. He seemed satisfied but moved a little slower than usual thanks to devouring so much vegetation in such a short time. He waddled after Dawn.

.

One of the grunts stuck his head out of the window. “Jupiter! Look! There’s that girl we’ve been hearing about!” he exclaimed, jumping up. This action caused him to whack his head against the top of the window frame. “Ow!” he yelped. He rubbed his head and stook a few steps back, while the other grunts laughed at him.

Jupiter brought a hand to her forehead and sighed. Not only had the boss commanded her to stay at the Eterna building, but he had given her the dumbest of the dumbest grunts in the organisation. No wonder he was so eager to let her do what she wished. The boss certainly had a strange way of expressing humour. Sometimes she wondered why she even bothered serving him. It was clear to her that Cyrus didn’t favour her highly in comparison to the other three.

“Move!” she snapped. She stormed over to the windowsill, shoving the grunt out of her way, and stuck her head outside. A dark blue haired girl was standing at the front of the door with a slower than normal turtwig following behind her. Even from this height, Jupiter could see leaves hanging out from the sides of the Turtwig’s mouth. _Smart trainer,_ she thought.

She moved away from the window and pulled out her xtransceiver and dialled the boss’s number. “Hello, boss!”

There was a three second delay. “Commander Jupiter, what is it?” the boss replied, sounding a little tired. Commander Jupiter felt bad for calling him now – he was tired and when he was, he was moodier than usual. Moments like these usually resulted in Jupiter having her pay cut for no other reason than ‘harassing the boss’.

“There’s a trainer here. A blue-headed girl. What do you want me to do with her? We can’t let her run around the base, she’s just a child and she’ll ruin everything! Shall I order the grunts to abuse her?” She tried to contain her excitement, but she wanted that little witch to pay for interfering with their plans at the Valley Windworks.

Again, there was a delay. Jupiter thought she heard someone else with Cyrus. A woman? Her hands tightened on her xtransceiver. Cyrus couldn’t be possibly thinking of replacing her with someone else, right?

“Let her do as she pleases, Jupiter.”

“Wh-what?” Jupiter blurted.

Cyrus sighed. “What harm can a child possibly do? You will not allow your grunts to attack her. Is that understood, commander?”

“What am I supposed to do then? Just wait for her to make her way to the top and find the bike owner?”

“Bike owner?”

“Yes, the bike owner. He wouldn’t give me a bike, so I ordered my grunts to kidnap him.”

“You will not carry out kidnapping missions without my consent,” he snarled into the phone, causing Jupiter to flinch. “Who do you think the authorities are going to blame if people continue to go missing?”

“I wasn’t going to keep him here for long!”

“This is your last warning, Jupiter. Do not fail me again.” He hung up on his end.

Jupiter threw her xtransceiver across the room, almost tearing out her hair in the process. She had sworn an oath to serve him, but he was so incredibly frustrating to work for that sometimes she wondered if it was even worth it. Why did Mars and Saturn get the important missions? She pouted.

“What did the boss say?” a grunt said.

She growled. “He doesn’t want you giving the girl a hard time for whatever reason, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to step down.” She started to feel a pang of sympathy for the girl. She didn’t know what she was getting herself into when she reached the final floor.

.

Unlike last time, there was no one standing guard at the door. She pushed the door open and stepped inside. Cold hands grabbed her shoulder. Dawn jumped. She turned around, preparing to slap whoever her attacker was, but only found the grinning face of Looker beaming down at her.

“Hello! It is me! Me! Ha ha ha!” he chuckled, eyes shining with amusement. “I have startled you, yes? I am, after all, an officer of the International Police. It is only natural that I be a master of disguise…”

Dawn recovered, although her heart was still racing. “That wasn’t funny, Looker. I thought you might’ve been a grunt.”

“It is habit… Incidentally, you are a first-rate trainer. Of that, I am very aware. I therefore think you will be okay, but I must warn you to be careful anyway,” Looker said, amusement gone from his eyes. He wore a solemn expression now, his dark eyes studying Dawn’s face closely. “A word of advice. This building, it has two stairs. One of them, a trap it must be. But the crooks of Team Galactic, they do not appear, how shall I say, smart. There should be an easy way to tell the stairs apart!”

“Thanks for the advice,” Dawn said.

He smiled. “You and I will meet again, yes?”

Even though she had met the guy twice already, she still had trouble wrapping her head around this strange way of speaking. Looker exited the room allowing Dawn to venture further into the building. The bottom floor was empty. She saw two archways leading to two separate doors. Looker had warned her that one could be a trap, but the grunts were dumb enough to leave clues behind.

As she moved closer, she noticed one archway had a sign next to it. The sign read, ‘THIS IS THE RIGHT DOOR. PROCEED’. She silently thanked whoever wrote the sign and made her way up the staircase. She reached the second floor and proceeded to make her way up to the third and fourth floors. The fourth floor was much more interesting to be on because the walls were not plain but covered in starry wallpaper. She didn’t have much time to admire the interior decorating because she was standing in a room of Galactic grunts. They circled around her, eyeing her as if she were something to eat.

A lady stepped forward. She was dressed differently than the others – she wore the same skin-tight clothing the grunts had, but one of her pant legs didn’t cover her leg completely. Dawn suspected it was supposed to be a sign she was of some importance like Mars was.

“So, you’re the little brat that gave Mars some trouble at the Valley Windworks,” the purple haired lady said, circling around Dawn, studying her like a hawk. “The boss says the grunts can’t lay a finger on you, but I don’t always listen to him. I’m here, you’re here and he’s not.” She gave her a mocking smirk. “I, Jupiter, will challenge you to a battle!”

“I’m here for bike owner. Where is he?”

“In the wardrobe downstairs,” she replied lazily. “I’ll let him go if you beat me, how does that sound?”

Dawn ordered her Turtwig to take the battle since her friend hadn’t battled in a while. “Go, Turtwig!” Turtwig stepped in front of his master and glared at Jupiter.

“Aw, cute, a little baby tortoise!” she cooed. “But what happened to its leaf? Never mind, that’ll just make this battle much easier for me to win. Go, Zubat!” Zubat hovered in the air, a few feet in front of Jupiter. “Use Wing Attack!” The bat swooped, striking Turtwig with its wings. Fortunately, the zubat wasn’t physically that powerful and the move didn’t do as much damage as it could’ve.

“Turtwig, use Bite!” Dawn ordered, wanting to test out her pokémon’s new move potion she had recently purchased. Turtwig didn’t move though, he just sat there in one place, his body turning a shade of dark green. “Turtwig?” Turtwig still didn’t move. Dawn bit her lower lip. Had Turtwig come down with some sort of a virus?

“Hah,” Jupiter crowed. “Your pokémon is sick from eating those leaves outside the front door! This battle is over before it’s even begun! Zubat, use Wing Attack again!” Zubat swooped again, hitting Turtwig in the face with its wings.

Dawn lowered her hand to her pokébelt to call her friend back, but a part of her felt her pokémon could win this battle even if he were at a serious type-disadvantage. “Come on, Turtwig…” she murmured.

Turtwig began to convulse suddenly, expelling the digested leaves out of his system. The leaves spilled out onto the floor, causing some of the grunts to jump back. He began to glow, his trembles increasing with intensity, as he rocked back and forth. She didn’t know how to react. No one had told her what to do should a pokémon come down with a virus during a battle. She lowered her hand, unsure of what else to do other than watch. Turtwig didn’t look to be in pain. The shaking lessened. A bright light enveloped his body, blinding all those within its presence. Dawn shielded her eyes until the light dimmed and spotted a much larger tortoise with two bushes on its back standing in Turtwig’s place. She immediately drew out her pokédex.

_Grotle. The evolved form of turtwig. It knows where pure water wells up. It carries fellow pokémon there on its back._

She put it away. Somehow, the leaves Turtwig had consumed had helped it to evolve.

“Hmph, so you got your pokémon to evolve. It doesn’t matter though you’re still going to lose. Zubat, use Bite!”

Zubat hovered above Grotle then lowered itself down slowly until it was above the tortoise’s head. The bat brought down its mouth and clamped its teeth on his back, but Grotle’s shell rendered its attack as useless. “Grotle, use Bite!” While zubat was still close to ground level, Grotle had the chance to attack. He lifted himself up onto his hind legs with surprising strength and bit down on one of the bat’s wings.

“How insolent!”

Grotle refused to release his grip on the zubat’s wings. Zubat tried to fly away, but Grotle was far too strong. The bat kept flapping until it ran out of energy and flopped down to the ground, its wings twitching slightly. “Well done, Grotle!” Dawn cheered. Grotle made a grunting noise indicating joy.

Jupiter recalled her pokémon then sent out her second one. “Skuntank!”

Images of Skunky materialized in her head as Dawn studied the giant skunk. This was obviously the evolved form of skunky, although it was twice as large, had a thick furry tail and a face shaped like that of a cat. Even so, she pulled out her pokéball for the sake of obtaining information for the professor’s research.

_Skuntank. The evolved form of skunky. It attacks by spraying a horribly smelly fluid from the tip of its tail. Attacks from above confound it._

In the corner of her eye, Dawn noticed the grunts had pulled out masks to shield their nose and mouths from breathing in the repugnant stench. Even Jupiter, the pokémon’s owner, pulled out her own mask. Dawn wished she had one of those, but she hadn’t seen any in the shops she had passed through. This battle could turn nasty within seconds. She could only hope that her newly evolved Grotle had a poor sense of smell.

“Skuntank, use Poison Gas!”

Skuntank turned around, and raised its tail, the tip curled down. It wagged its posterior end from left to right, expelling a foul purple cloud of gas. Dawn brought two hands to her mouth and lurched forward, trying to fight back the nausea that gripped her mind. The gas from a skunky had been bad enough, but this was so much worse. It reeked like a decomposing corpse combined with the smell of rotten eggs.

“Oh my…” Dawn gasped, pinching her nose as tightly as possible until her began to hurt. Her eyes began to water, and her stomach continued doing somersaults. Her head began to spin. It was just so nasty… How could anyone withstand a battle against one of those pokémon? Her knees buckled and gave way. She fell to the floor and hunched over, balling her fingers into fists.

She heard a couple of thuds and turned around to find a few grunts lying on the floor. Even their masks weren’t good enough to lessen the stench of the odour emitted from a skuntank. Some grunts ran out of the room with tears in their eyes, while a couple of others rushed over to the closest window to expel the contents of their stomachs.

It would’ve been a rather comical sight to those outside, but it wasn’t amusing for those involved. She lurched forward and vomited up her breakfast. She vomited again a few moments later, but it did little to ease her nauseousness. In fact, it only made her feel worse. She wiped her mouth using the back palm of her head, wincing at the sight of vomit leftover. “Grotle… use Bite…” she whimpered.

Grotle didn’t appear to have a good sense of smell since the pokémon seemed unaffected by the stench. He charged forward and bit the skuntank on the nose. Skuntank hissed. “Skuntank, use Night Slash!” A purple glow encased the skuntank’s body. Skuntank lashed out a claw, hitting Grotle in the face leaving a scratch mark.

“Hang… in there… Grotle… Use Razor Leaf!” Now that her pokémon had leaves on its back, he could use that attack. Grotle shook his body, making the bushes on his back shake. He lunged forward, hurling a couple of leaves at his opponent. The leaves struck Skuntank in the face, leaving multiple scratches.

“Skuntank, use Night Slash!” Skuntank lunged forward and swatted Grotle in the face once more. Grotle stumbled back but recovered quickly and rammed his head into the skuntank’s side. She heard Jupiter hiss. “You’re not bad for a brat, but I’m not giving up this easily. I will-what is it?”

One of the grunts who hadn’t fainted grabbed her arm and tugged on it. “The gym leader and her students are coming! Someone must’ve alerted them to our presence!”

“Dammit!” Jupiter cursed. “Today is your lucky day, but next time I will defeat you, you can count on it. Open the wardrobe downstairs and release the bike shop owner! All of you worthless grunts! Pack up and go before the boss returns!” She turned to Dawn. “Next time, do yourself a favour and purchase a gas mask if you hope to stand a chance against me. Oh, and before you go, let me tell you something important. Our boss is researching the myths of ancient pokémon. With the power of mythical pokémon, he will become the ruler of Sinnoh… I suggest you keep out of Team Galactic’s affairs from now on. This is your last warning!”

Jupiter recalled her skuntank and the smell began to fade away. Dawn climbed to her feet and stumbled out of the room. Using the walls as support, she made her way down to the bottom floor where a man in his mid-thirties stood before her looking a little flabbergasted. “Thank you for saving me! Stop by my shop later and I’ll give you my prized bike!”

Dawn weakly nodded, still recovering from being gassed. She stumbled out of the building and heaved a sigh of relief as soon as she stepped outside. She really needed a good hot shower after this debacle. Some new clothes wouldn’t hurt either. Fortunately, the local pokémon centre had both available for a minimal fee. She made her over to the building, her loyal pokémon following behind her. What an eventful day.

.

Johanna sat down in the cafeteria section of the hall, helping herself to some raisin toast and juice, while Marina ran through the schedule. Marina had been up all-night working on the finer details alongside Johanna trying to come up with a timetable that catered for the general interests of the public. The event was scheduled to last three days and the task was to ensure each day was even in terms of exciting events.

“So, do you think the catwalk should happen on the second day or on the final day?” Marina said, crossing her right leg over her left, as she dangled her pen between her fingers.

Johanna nodded. “It should happen on the second day. In past years, attendance numbers have always been the highest on the second day. The catwalk is our most popular event as well according to previous surveys so it would make sense to hold it then.”

Marina brought her pen down to her notebook and scribbled down a few notes. “I trust you, Johanna. You’ve been coordinating fashion events for a few years now, so I have no reason not to take your word for it.” She glanced up from the notebook and looked at Johanna. “That’s why you’re going to host catwalk!”

“But you’re the main star!”

Chuckling, Marina wrapped a finger around her hair. “True, but like I said, you’re the experienced one here and Sinnoh is your home region. You know how things work here in this region – that’s why I think you should run the catwalk. Besides, I’ll be busy doing photographs and signing autographs for my fans at that time. I can’t be in two places at once.”

“That sounds fine by me,” Johanna replied, setting her food down on the table before her. She stood up from her chair and readjusted her collar again – a week had passed since she last met with Cyrus, but the mark was still visible on her neck. The last thing she wanted was for people to ask questions about it. That was a conversation she wanted to avoid. “I’ll be right back, all right? I’m just heading to the bathroom.”

Marina nodded, glancing back down at the notepad. She started flipping through the pages while Johanna hurried towards the nearest bathroom. Fortunately, the bathroom was empty – she found it unsettling going to the bathroom when there were other people in there. Listening to other people doing their business wasn’t exactly the most pleasant sound to hear.

A few moments later, she finished her business and wiped herself then glanced down. Her eyes widened. “No…” she said slowly, examining the pinkish tinge of discharge on the tissue. She rubbed her eyes and looked back down again. The light-coloured pinkish discharge was still there. “This can’t be possible…”

She fixed herself up, chucked the tissue down the toilet and flushed, then ran out, slamming the door behind her. Rushing over to the nearest sink, she turned it on and splashed her face with water, as she tried to steady her racing heartbeat. A door slammed shut. She jumped and jerked her head towards the bathroom entrance as an elderly lady entered. Professor Carolina. This was the last place she expected Cynthia’s grandmother to be in.

“Johanna?”

Johanna mustered up a smile. “Hello, Carolina.”

“I had a feeling you would be here, so I came down yesterday to check up on you.” She moved closer, her eyes never leaving Johanna’s face. A few droplets of water dripped off her chin and onto her collar. Johanna quickly grabbed a few paper towels and dried her face with it, carefully avoiding touching her collar. “Are you all right? You look like you have seen a ghost.”

“No, just excited about today, that’s all,” Johanna assured, bringing a hand to her ear, and pulling it gently. She hoped her old friend couldn’t see past the mask was wearing. “I’m hosting the catwalk event instead of Marina,” she added, smiling again. Just act perfectly normal, she told herself.

Carolina moved closer. “No, there is something wrong. You have a habit of pulling on your ears when there is something wrong. I’ve known you for several decades, Johanna. I know when there is something wrong.”

For a moment, Johanna considered telling the Champion’s grandmother a lie. Yes, there was something wrong, but it wasn’t like she had to tell Carolina the truth. “Like I said, I’m just excited about today. A little bit nervous, you know,” she started, trying to think of a lie, but nothing came to mind. Carolina raised an eyebrow as she pressed her lips into a thin line. This was the typical expression she used when she was waiting for an explanation.

“You’ve been running fashion events for a couple of years, Johanna. Do you expect me to believe that you are getting cold feet?” She moved a few steps closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Tell me what’s troubling you.”

The words were there in her mind, but she had trouble trying to say them out loud. How was she supposed to tell Carolina that she had spent a night with the same man who abandoned her twelve years ago? “I…” she started, bringing her hand to her collar to fiddle with it. “It’s a long story.”

“What have you done, Johanna?”

She couldn’t like to Carolina. She couldn’t lie to the lady who helped her after Cyrus had abandoned her. “I… met him.”

Carolina’s gaze hardened. “Cyrus?”

Johanna cleared her throat. “It wasn’t by choice!” she blurted.

“And you let him in your home?” Carolina replied, anger slowing rising in her tone. Johanna felt her grip tighten on her shoulder which was surprisingly strong considering the age of the professor. “He has no right to come anywhere near you, Johanna!” she snapped, withdrawing her arm.

“Nothing happened, okay? We just talked, that’s all and then he left.” She turned around and looked in the mirror, brushing a few bangs of hair away from her face. “I ran into him again about a week ago. He knows about Dawn.”

“Johanna…”

Johanna spun around from the mirror throwing a glare in Carolina’s direction. “Dawn is perfectly safe! He made a promise to me he would not hurt, and I believe him,” she said heatedly, bringing a hand to her neck to readjust the collar again.

Carolina’s eyes narrowed. “I have never thought of you as foolish, Johanna, but you are a fool to trust in someone like him.”

“I need him.”

“You survived without him before – what makes you believe you need him now?”

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, willing herself not to let any information slip. If Carolina learnt the truth, she wasn’t going to let her go anywhere unsupervised. “Things are different now, Carolina.” She moved away from the sink and headed towards the exit when Carolina grabbed her arm.

“He was here, wasn’t he?” Carolina demanded her eyes boring into Johanna’s. “Sharing your bed, I presume?”

Johanna pried Carolina’s fingers off and jerked her arm away. “That’s none of your business,” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, feeling her cheeks burn.

“How long ago?”

Now that she had brought it up, Carolina wasn’t going to leave until she was satisfied. Johanna moved to the closest wall and leaned against it her eyes fixed on the ground. “It’s been a week. I ran into him and he wanted to speak to me about something important in private. I tried to get away, but I couldn’t.” She lifted a hand and brought it to her hair, running a hand through her blue locks, trying to keep her emotions in control. “I can’t keep running away, Carolina.”

“You still love him. After everything he’s put you through, you still-”

Johanna lifted her gaze up from the ground meeting Carolina’s piercing stare. “I have to believe he can still be saved.”

“Saved?”

“You don’t know him as well as I do.”

The elderly woman sighed. “I’m only trying to help you. I don’t want to see you hurt again.”

“No one is ever beyond redemption, if they choose to walk that path,” Johanna said softly. “Do those words sound familiar? They were the ones you told me many years ago.”

Carolina sighed. “He did more than just share your bed, didn’t he?” Her gaze lingered on Johanna’s neck. “You slept with him.”

Johanna averted her gaze. The professor rubbed her temples and turned around and said something Johanna’s ears couldn’t make out. “I couldn’t… hold him off, but there’s nothing to worry about! The chances of falling pregnant are slim!” she protested. A brief image of the pinkish discharge on the tissue appeared in her head. Could it be possible?

“I’m assuming you took preventive methods?”

Johanna shook her head. “I didn’t plan for this.”

There was a brief pause. “When are you due?” Carolina said, turning around, finger rubbing her chin.

“In another week.”

The professor paced back and forth muttering something to herself then came to an abrupt stop. She looked at Johanna. “I’m taking you to my home where I can keep a close eye on you. You shouldn’t be alone.” Before Johanna could protest, Carolina grabbed her arm and led her out of the bathroom.

.

Dawn’s mood lifted now that she had a hot shower and some nice new clothes to wear. The clothes she had selected were like her former attire, only they were black. She collected her pokébelt and pokéballs from the nurse and exited, making her way towards the bike shop. It was easy to find since there was a bike model next to the front door.

“Hey there, heroine! You did me a great deal back there rescuing me from those grunts! As a reward, I’m going to give you my prized bike for free!” He pointed to a yellow bicycle in the far corner. “You can travel much faster now, and you’ll get fitter quicker too! Isn’t that great?” The man didn’t seem to care much about her well-being – he was more concerned about giving her a bike. She felt like turning down his offer but having a bike did have its appeal.

“Thanks, I’ll take it.”

“Excellent! If you have any problems with it, just return it and I’ll fix it free of charge, just for you!” He removed the bike from the rack and gave it to her.

Dawn placed her hands on the handles and walked the bike out of the shop. She had never ridden a bike, so she was a little hesitant about getting on it. Bikes weren’t needed in her hometown of Twinleaf. She held the bike firmly in place and slowly climbed on to the seat. The bike wobbled, but somehow, she managed to stay on top.

Slipping her feet onto the pedals, she started to rotate her legs so the bike would move forward. Already, she could feel her legs starting to burn from the strenuous activity. Perhaps walking was a better idea after all, she thought. If she continued this, she’d faint from exhaustion by the time she reached the next city.

“Where to go next?” she said aloud, bringing up an image of the map in her head. It was a simple map to memorize since there was usually just one main path to get to the next city. Her next destination was Hearthome and apparently there was a big festival happening. But to reach the place she had to go through the Cycling Road and Mt Coronet.

The Cycling Road was rumoured to be a nasty place filled with overconfident athletes who thought they were better than everyone else because they were in peak physical condition. She wished there were a way to avoid them but sadly it was the only path forward. If she didn’t cause any trouble with them then she’d have nothing to worry about… hopefully.

Cautiously, she cycled towards a golden bridge. This was the infamous Cycling Road. She cycled over to the lady at the front of the bridge. “Hello there, trainer. I see you have a bike. Move onto the bridge and cycle away!” She beamed Dawn a big smile. That had to be a terrible job, thought Dawn, as she moved onto the bridge. Her bike didn’t even touch the bridge when two female cyclists nearby called out a few comments.

The first cyclist, a lean woman with platinum blonde locks and a busty upper chest, spoke out first. “Where’d you get that flashy bike, kid? Did your rich dad buy it for you?”

The other female sniggered, twirling a lock of black hair around a slender finger. “I hope you know how to ride it. It would be such a shame for a fine model to end up damaged, wouldn’t it, Alexia?”

“That’s right, Cassadee.”

Dawn didn’t like these two women. They were giving her looks that made her feel uneasy. _Don’t pay them any attention, Dawn,_ she told herself. Just look away and keep moving forward. She focused her attention on the road ahead and started cycling, doing her best to ignore the comments from the two nasty cyclists. Unfortunately, they decided to follow her.

“She has such beautiful hair… I wonder if it’s natural or if she dyed it to make her look unique,” the female said. Alexia grabbed her hair and yanked it roughly that Dawn fell off her bike. Her face hit the ground first, her lips rubbing against the wooden planks. Pain erupted from her lower lip. The two girls laughed. Dawn glared up at them as she ran her tongue over her lips, feeling the taste of blood on the tip. A busted lip. Just what she needed.

“Aw, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin your pretty face,” Cassadee taunted.

Alexia hopped off her bike and picked up Dawn’s one. “Oh, look what you’ve done you stupid girl. You’ve gone and damaged your bike!” She pointed to some of the scratch marks on the bike. “I don’t think you’re responsible enough to have one.”

“But that’s my bike!” Dawn protested, feeling her lower lip beginning to swell.

“It’s mine now,” Alexia said, her eyes narrowed.

Dawn’s eyes started to well up with tears from a combination of the pain in her lip and being humiliated like this. She didn’t understand why they were being so mean to her for no apparent reason. Did they pick on all passing cyclists? Or was she getting some special treatment? Cassadee bent over and grabbed her hair and gave it a rough jerk. She pulled out a couple of berries, crushed them in her hands and rubbed the sticky juices in Dawn’s hair until all the juices were removed.

“Ooh, that looks so much better now!” Alexia jeered.

Cassadee pulled her hands away. “Have a good day, princess!” She waved goodbye, and the two girls walked away with their new bike. Dawn picked herself up from the floorboards and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. She knew it was pointless getting so worked up about being insulted, but those girls were so mean. Even the Galactic grunts were above hair pulling.

Now she didn’t have a bike. It was back to walking for her. She preferred that though to cycling, but this wasn’t the best place to be getting around on legs. There was a good chance there were more nasty cyclists around. She started to sprint down the road bypassing more cyclists who just laughed at busted lip and lack of bike. Eventually, she reached the opposite end.

She wiped more tears away and walked down the dusty road towards the base of Mt Coronet. The mountain was so high that she couldn’t even see its peak because it was hidden in the clouds. Mt Coronet looked intimidating, but she had survived the horrors of the Cycling Road that Mt Coronet surely couldn’t be much worse. Tears still streaming down her face, Dawn hurried over to the mountain’s entrance, eager to get as far away from the Cycling Road as possible.

She stepped inside the mountain. It was damp inside, but surprisingly well lit. She guessed since trainers had to pass through this mountain to reach the next city that the local council had installed a lighting system on the bottom floor. There were two large pools of water on both sides of the pathway leading to the exit. She noticed there were ladders leading to the next level, but she didn’t want to stay here longer than what was needed. One day she’d return when she was stronger.

She continued to make her way through the cave when she spotted Cyrus entering from the opposite side. She stared and noted how his appearance differed since their last meeting a day ago. The collar of his jacket was uneven, and his hair stuck out in random angles, looking like he had just rolled out of bed. She also noticed what looked suspiciously like red lipstick around the base of his neck. Did he even notice? He seemed to be in a hurry. Seeing his dishevelled appearance made her chuckle and she temporarily forgot about the reason behind her tears.

“…Weak and incomplete… strife has appeared… the world is being ruined by it…” she heard him mutter. He stopped talking to himself when he noticed she was there. “Dawn.”

Dawn remained silent. What was he mumbling about? What was the world being ruined by? Weak people like the Galactic grunts? Or was he referring to something else? Curiosity got the better of her and she said, even though she was aware she had no business in knowing. “I’m sorry,” she started, wincing at the pain in her lip.

He frowned. “What happened to your lip?”

“I fell over,” she said sheepishly.

“You were not attacked by Galactic grunts?” he said, looking tense suddenly.

She shook her head. “No.”

He seemed to relax. “You should be careful where you walk.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She paused, thinking of how to ask Cyrus what he was muttering about. “What were you talking about just before? I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard the words weak, incomplete and strife? Is it about Team Galactic?”

He stared at her then replied after a few beats of silence. “You’re too young to understand, but one day you will see it.” He looked at her mouth again. “You should get that cleaned up before it gets infected.”

“You should tidy yourself up before you cross the Cycling Road,” Dawn replied good-naturedly, pointing to his neck. “You can’t walk around the streets with that on you. People will ask questions.” His right hand moved to the base of his neck where Dawn had pointed. He rubbed it for a bit then pulled it back, glancing down at the red mark. He muttered. “If my mother were here to see this, she’d be on you within seconds cleaning you up. She’s a fashion coordinator so she takes appearance very seriously,” she explained.

“…Indeed.”

Dawn frowned. That was a strange response. He walked past her. “Wait, where are you going?” She was curious to know more. He had to be important since he kept showing up everywhere that she was.

“I have business to attend to elsewhere.”

He didn’t say anything and continued walking to the entrance she had come through. Dawn would’ve gone after him if she didn’t have her own business to worry about such as obtaining more gym badges. Oh well, she was sure to meet up with him again sometime soon. She stepped through the exit and left.

.

The building was a mess. It was as if someone had decided to host a gagging competition. There were patches of vomit everywhere he looked. On the walls, on the floors, on the furniture… It was obvious what had happened here. The grunts had screwed up again and their supervisor, Commander Jupiter, was to blame for this disaster.

The grunts had long since scattered but Jupiter was still here, doing her best to clean up the evidence off a failed task. “Jupiter,” he said.

Jupiter stopped cleaning the floor. She rose to her feet, slowly turned around and tilted her chin downwards to avoid his gaze. “Boss.”

“I leave you to carry out a simple task and I come back, and this place is a mess.” The incompetence Jupiter was showing was starting to become beyond a joke now. She was the eldest of the original trio so he had expected her to handle her responsibilities better, but she couldn’t even do that. “Look at me while I’m addressing you.” She tilted her chin upwards. “Explain yourself.”

She snorted. “I was carrying out my duties like you had said me to when that little brat came in here to mess up our plans. I challenged her to a battle with my skuntank – that’s why this place looks the way it does. You left me with the dumbest grunts in the entire organisation!” she accused, pointing a finger at him. “You should be blaming yourself for hiring such idiots!”

He knew there was a reason he didn’t give Jupiter important tasks – she was petty, and that ugly emotion was starting to show again. Jupiter was the weakest of his commanders, although she thought herself as the strongest mentally. Nevertheless, he still needed her, but she needed to be put in her place. “When I promoted you to the position of commander, you swore an oath that you would never turn your back on me. That includes arguing with my orders.”

She drew in a shaky breath. “I swore an oath because I thought I’d be treated better!” she blurted out. “You always give me the worst jobs! You assign the dumbest grunts for me to command! You don’t tell us anything! Why is that girl so important? We’re doing your dirty work and we’re getting nothing out of it!” she screeched. Her body was trembling from rage.

“You have a job. You receive pay and you have a place to call home. That is more than what you had before you joined Galactic,” Cyrus replied curtly. “I gave you a chance to start all over when I could’ve easily left you behind to suffer a far worse fate.”

Jupiter had been the first of the commanders he had recruited. He found her near Pastoria City, trying to kill herself by drowning in the swamp. Her partner had left her, and she had been fired from her job as a sales assistant the same day. The girl had thought death was better than coping with the pain of loss and rejection, but he convinced her he could erase that pain.

“Charon brought up the idea that you don’t trust me,” she said finally in controlled voice. Her anger had subsided – for now at least. “It’s true, isn’t it? That’s why you prefer Mars and Saturn over me. Even Charon is important!”

“I do not prefer one over the other.”

“That’s a lie!” she spat. “Stop lying to me!” This was the angriest he had seen Jupiter. She was allowing herself to be consumed by emotions such as jealousy and anger and it was causing her to act in an unruly manner. The woman suddenly threw herself at him then drew her hand back to slap him. Fortunately, he grabbed hold of her wrist at the last moment and held her back. That didn’t stop her though. She thrashed, she writhed, she even tried spitting at him, but her attempts to hurt him did nothing.

“Control yourself, Jupiter,” he ordered.

She ceased her struggles, but he didn’t release her just yet. “Why is she so important to you?” she said in between pants.

He knew of whom she spoke of. Dawn. He looked away, releasing his grip on her arms. “It’s none of your concern.” He turned his back, but she simply stood in front of him, eyes hungry for answers. He stared her down. “Why would a child be of importance to my plans?”

The corners of her mouth curved into a smirk. “She wouldn’t be unless she was… yours,” she said, pausing for dramatic effect. All the pieces had started to come together, and the commander had just worked it out. “How long have you known about her?”

“About a week. What does it matter?”

Her smirk widened. “Where do your loyalties truly lie, boss?”


	11. Darkness and Light, pt 1

Hostile spirits of the dead entered her line of sight, as Fantina led the way back to the rift opening. Normally, she’d catch a glimpse of at least three hostile spirits with each visit, but there was more than usual today. The strangest thing was they were huddling in groups of three, as if they were banding together, bracing themselves of an attack of some sort.

One of the haunters spotted her and broke away from its group, floating towards her and Morty, its claws outstretched. “We’ve been spotted,” Fantina hissed. “Keep your guard up.” She focused her mind on the haunter before her and nothing else. Allowing another thought to enter her mind while she was here was a dangerous thing to do.

The haunter stopped in front of her, sunken eyes staring into her own. It stretched out its arm, trying to touch her, but its arm made no contact. If she thought of nothing else, the haunter would not be able to touch her. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Morty had closed his eyes, as if he had chosen to meditate on the spot.

An icy wave raced throughout her body as the haunter drove its arm through her stomach. It felt as if she had been dunked into a pool of ice-cold water with nothing to protect her skin from the biting cold. The haunter drove another arm through her body, wrapping its long claws around her location of her heart. Fortunately, her mind was guarded otherwise she’d be in a great deal of trouble.

The hostile pokémon held its place and she held hers, each one waiting for the other to break. Tortured screams rang out through the realm as the haunter tried to tear her mind apart. The spirits were obviously ravenous – normally, they’d leave a walker alone if their mind were unbreakable, but this one was determined. The behaviour wasn’t normal and suggested only one thing – there was a greater power here at work.

After what seemed like hours of waiting, the haunter finally withdrew, returning to the shadows of the trees. Fantina exhaled, loosening her grip on Morty’s right hand. “That was unsettling,” he commented, readjusting his purple scarf around his neck. “The spirits of the deceased pokémon do not normally behave like this.”

“They’re afraid of something.”

“Afraid of what?”

Fantina shook her head, troubled. “The shadow beast.”

“Impossible. You said it yourself earlier – the creature is trapped in its realm. It can’t escape unless someone opens the gate to his cage and there is no one capable of achieving that task,” Morty replied heatedly.

She thought hard, reflecting on recent events. There had been reports of thieves in spacesuits giving local trainers a difficult time. She hadn’t caught a glimpse of trouble in Hearthome City, but thanks to the media, she knew their names. The thieves called themselves ‘Team Galactic’. Were the thieves behind the imbalance she sensed? “The chains are weakening – the shadow beast… it’s feasting on the hostile spirits here weakening them. That is why they are desperate to feast on us. It would explain why the ghost-type pokémon in the Lost Tower are unsettled.”

“You believe someone has found a way to open the gate?”

Fantina nodded, giving her friend a fearful look. “Yes.”

“The gate can’t be opened by normal means. It would take a great amt of energy to open it – where could such energy be found?”

“The Lake Guardian trio,” Fantina said slowly, recalling on the stories she read in the book ‘Sinnoh’s Legendary pokémon’. “The legendary gem-holders of knowledge, emotion and willpower. When the three creatures come together as one, they will create the key, the Red Chain. The Red Chain has the power to summon the creators of time and space to unlock the gate to the shadow beast’s home realm.”

“Why would someone want to unlock the gate?”

Fantina thought hard. “The shadow beast was cast down into the pit because as punishment for betraying Arceus and was sealed behind a magical door… or at least that’s what my mother told me when I was a young child. The stories say the creature has the power to create a new universe from nothing although there is no research to prove this can actually be achieved.”

“That means…” Morty trailed.

“Someone else has done their research.” She suspected someone within Team Galactic had done heavy research into the matter. With a name like Team Galactic, it would make sense they were interested in the workings of the universe. But why would they want to create a new one? And how had they obtained research on the shadow beast? Only ghost-type masters knew of its existence, but some refused to acknowledge it, claiming it was just a wild theory. This was why they had not shared such information with the rest of the world because they could not come to an agreement.

Morty looked troubled. He ran a hand through his blond hair and opened his mouth to speak further when a gastly moved past them. The pokémon appeared to be running away from something because it ignored their presence. “We should follow it. See where it leads. We can learn more about this shadow beast.”

“We do not have much time left.”

“Just a quick glimpse? I admit, I wasn’t keen on coming here, but you’ve piqued my curiosity and I’m interested in learning more.”

Truth be told, Fantina wasn’t keen on leaving just yet either. The gym could wait. This was far more important. She had heard much about the shadow beast when she was growing up but had never seen pictures of it before since no images had been released since no ghost-type trainer had ever laid eyes on it.

Only one person had seen the creature – a self-proclaimed genius called Pluto. She had never actually seen him before either since he didn’t share photos of himself nor of the shadow beast, but she loved reading his research articles, particularly the one about rotom. She hoped to one day cross paths so she could discuss ghost-types with him.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a rough jerk and found herself falling to the ground. A tree landed a few inches away from where she had originally been standing moments before. Trees falling in the Spirit World were not common occurrences. “Please get off me…” a voice murmured.

Glancing down, she noticed she was sitting on top of Morty’s stomach. She quickly rolled off and climbed to her feet then glanced around. What had caused the tree to fall? A hostile pokémon spirit did not have the strength to do that. “Where did the gastly disappear?”

Morty stood up, dusting the wilted leaves off his clothes with one free hand. “I don’t know but whatever it was, it’s powerful.”

Fantina searched her surroundings, keeping her eyes focused in the direction in which the tree had fallen from. She couldn’t see much because of the mist, but eventually her eyes adapted and spotted two glowing red eyes staring back. A cold chill raced down her spine. She wasn’t a woman easily frightened, but looking into those deep red eyes, she felt the rare fleeting emotion of fear course through her veins, causing her to freeze in place.

The red-eyed creature let out a deafening ferocious roar, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand erect. It was enough to pull her out her trance. She tugged on Morty’s arm. “We have to leave now.” Morty didn’t argue; he was speechless. The creature trudged through the mist towards them, each footstep causing the ground beneath their feet to shake.

“Run!” Morty said.

Fantina didn’t need to be told twice. They hurried towards the rift opening, not daring to spare a glance over their shoulder. Fantina could hear the creature’s footsteps closing in on them. Fear spurred her to run faster than she ever had before. The rift opening came within her line of vision. So close…

She tripped, face first into the ground, bringing Morty down with her. She dared herself to glance over her shoulder and catch a glimpse of the red-eyed beast. Blood-coloured eyes stared right back at her, a mere inch away from her face. Hot breath reeking of decomposing flesh washed over, causing her stomach to churn. It opened its mouth revealing two rows of razor-sharp teeth that looked to be at least nine inches long. A forked tongue came forth from the cavern of its enormous mouth, brushing up against her face, leaving a copious amt of saliva behind.

“Fantina!” Morty urged. “We have to go now before it’s too late!”

She tore her gaze away from the beast, climbed to her feet and sprinted with Morty, towards the rift opening. The beast was still behind them but by now they had reached the safety of the rift. Together, they jumped through and landed on the ground of Hearthome’s Contest Hall. “That was it. That was the shadow beast that roams the Spirit World,” she said, lying on her back, eyes staring up at the ceiling.

Morty stood up. “You need to inform Cynthia immediately. If that gate opens all hell is going to break loose. We don’t even know the full extent of the shadow beast’s power or what its proper name is even. All we have to go by are some old unproven stories and one theory by some guy we have never seen a picture of before.”

“I will speak to her as soon as possible.”

He nodded. “I need to return home. Sinnoh’s not the only region under threat.” Fantina didn’t even try to stop him as he left the building, removing the scarf around his neck. Her heart was still racing from the adventure within the Spirit World, but she had to pull herself together and act calm in front of the public. Returning to the gym would help calm her racing heartbeat.

.

Out of all the cities she had visited so far, Hearthome was certainly the most desirable place to live in, and by far the most beautiful. Three beige coloured classical garden fountains designed to look like clefairies spread across the southern part of the city, surrounded by a couple of neatly trimmed hedges giving it a rather relaxing atmosphere. There were park benches opposite to the fountains stationed black classical lamp posts. Even the buildings had a classical feel to them – important buildings had impressive engravings of Sinnoh’s pokémon above the main entrance columns.

It was also a rather busy place, but not in the same sense as Jubilife. Many of the locals in Jubilife were businesspeople or researchers, while the vast population of Hearthome seemed to consist of mothers with young children. She spotted a couple of mothers with prams across from her, exchanging words as they walked down the street. There were children playing around the fountains partaking in a game of tag. This was truly a place for families.

The northern side of the city had the infamous Contest Hall and Amity Square. Contest Hall was the place to be for all lovers of fashion while those who wanted to bond with their pokémon could spend time in the world-famous botanical gardens of Amity Square. Only trainers with specific types of pokémon could enter the place though according to news reporters. She suspected it was because it was such a child-friendly environment the owners didn’t want scary pokémon giving children nightmares.

She found it strange that the local gym was located close to Amity Square’s entrance because the gym looked like it had featured in a horror movie set. Apparently, it was once an abbey, but it had been turned into a gym by the order of the gym leader, Fantina. There was no doubt it was a beautiful building even though it looked out of place in a jovial place like Hearthome.

The gym had two identical towers with a circular window in each. The lower part of the towers had two smaller glass-stained windows non-circular in their design. Engravings of various ghost-type pokémon from around Sinnoh, Johto and Kanto decorated the sides closest to the entrance. A much larger glass-stained window joined the two towers together and below that was the entrance.

Hearthome’s Gym put the other buildings to shame in terms of design. She was about to walk through the gym doors when she spotted a lady with dark blue hair exiting the Contest Hall, pushing through a sea of eager people. There was only one female in Sinnoh aside from herself with hair that colour. Her mother. “Mum!” she called, turning away from the gym’s entrance to chase after her mother.

Fortunately, the distance between the gym and the Contest Hall was short and it didn’t take her long to reach her. She called her name again and this time Johanna looked in her direction. A broad smile spread across her face. “Dawn!”

Dawn wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist and gave her a tight hug then pulled back, noticing how tired her mother looked. She also noticed that her mother had taken to wearing a shirt with a high collar which was bizarre because her mother never wore collared shirts. Her mother seemed uncomfortable with her new look as well because she kept playing with the collar, readjusting it every couple of seconds as if she were trying to hide something.

“Did you get bitten by something?” Dawn pointed out, as Johanna rubbed the right side of her neck. Dawn caught a brief glimpse of what appeared to look like a bruise of some sort. What sort of pokémon attacked the necks of people?

Her mother’s brows lifted, surprised. “Oh, just a bug bite. Nothing serious.”

“Well, I might have something in my bag that can make it less itchy,” Dawn said, reaching down to her bag to search for a bug-bite cream for humans. “It looks pretty nasty.” And it looked painful, although her mother showed no signs of pain, only discomfort and… embarrassment?

Johanna placed her hands on her daughter’s arm. “It’s nothing to be worried about, I assure you, sweetie.” She brought up the collar again to cover the mark. Her mother’s eyes fixed on her lip and the woman frowned. “What happened to your lip?”

“Oh, I ran into some trouble earlier, but it’s all right.”

Her mother’s frown remained. “Team Galactic?”

Dawn shook her head. “No. Just some girls at the Cycling Road. You know Team Galactic?”

“I heard about it on the news that some thieves called Team Galactic are causing trouble in some cities.” Johanna placed a hand on her shoulder staring deeply into her eyes. “Have they caused you trouble?”

“The girls at the Cycling Road were more of an issue than the Galactic people,” Dawn pointed out. At least the members of Galactic didn’t harass people by giving trainers busted lips for fun. “I’m going to purchase some cream for my lip before I take on the gym.”

“It seems like you’ve been doing this for years,” Johanna said proudly, beaming her daughter a dazzling smile. “To have come this far already in such a short amt of time… I know you’ll go the distance, Dawn. I am so proud of you.”

Dawn smiled. “Thanks mum.” She hugged her mother again then drew back. “What brings you to Hearthome City anyway?”

“There’s a fashion show taking place and I’m coordinating some of the events, but don’t let its presence distract you from obtaining your next gym badge.” She glanced down at her watch and gasped. “Oh, that reminds me, I need to head to the store and purchase some supplies!” Johanna gave her daughter an apologetic look. “If you ever need to talk, just call me on the xtransceiver! Good luck, sweetie!”

Her mother hurried away towards the nearest shop and Dawn just chuckled. The woman looked like she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. She was probably too busy stressing out about that weird mark on her neck and coordinating some of the events. She glanced down at her pokébelt. “Are you ready for the next battle?” The balls shook, showing their eagerness. Dawn chuckled. “Of course, you are. Let’s give it our best.”

.

Before entering the gym, Dawn had stopped by the pokémon centre and pokémart for healing and supplies. It had been a fair bit of time since she last purchased valuable items and figured now was a good time to do so. She took in a deep breath and walked through the wooden doors stepping into a dark room. It was so dark that she couldn’t even see her own hands in front of her.

A pair of cold hands grabbed her shoulders. “Boo!” Dawn screamed, taken by surprise. She staggered backwards, her back pressing up against the wall, as she tried to find a way to leave the place, but the doors had closed behind her. White light flashed in her eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you there, trainer!”

Even though she couldn’t see the other person, she recognized the voice. Malcolm, the gym advisor. She heaved a sigh and looked at the torch holder, heart hammering away in her chest. Was she that easy to startle? “What was that for?” she replied, holding up her hands to shield her eyes from the powerful light.

“It’s a habit.”

She grumbled. “Are you sure this is a gym and not a horror house?”

Her words were greeted by a light-hearted chuckle. “Hearthome used to be an abbey as you are probably aware of, but do you know why it was built in the first place?” Dawn remained silent. The gym advisor continued. “The Hearthome you see today is a stark contrast to what it used to be. It used to be an ambush site for ghost-type trainers to prey on adventurers many centuries ago. The Lost Tower built to the east of this city helped the ghost-type trainers lay traps for their victims.”

A cold chill raced down her spine. Never had she thought such a delightful place like Hearthome had such a dark history attached to its name. “Please, go on.”

“The ghost-type trainers were eventually defeated and banished from the lands by the psychic-type masters. They decided to build an abbey here to bring beauty to a place tainted with a dark past and they turned the Lost Tower into a place where the dead could rest in peace. The abbey was designed to unite trainers from all backgrounds and bring peace to the lands. People from the surrounding regions moved to Hearthome, attracted by the impressive structure. The psychic-type masters left afterwards and were replaced by a pair of ghost-type trainers.”

“And what did they do?”

“They wanted to prove to the world ghost-type trainers were not to be feared like the previous ones were. The bodies of those who had lost their lives had their coffins built into the walls and floors of which you now stand upon.”

Although she couldn’t see the ground beneath her feet, Dawn glanced down anyway. She was standing on history right now and it was somewhat chilling to know she was standing on the coffins of the dead. “That’s unsettling.”

“Fantina arrived several decades later and purchased the abbey and turned it into a gym for trainers to strengthen their bonds with the spirits. There are no lights in this place to remind everyone of the darkness that once gripped this city, but challengers are given lanterns to help them find their way around.”

He moved the light away from her face and pointed to a nearby shelf where there were a couple of handheld lanterns. He grabbed one, lit the flame inside and gave it to Dawn. She grabbed it with both hands, surprised by the lightness of the item. It looked cumbersome, but it could be held without problems with one hand. “There are trainers who prowl the halls waiting to ambush you so be careful. Also, be wary of the spirits. They cannot harm you in this realm, but it can be unsettling to have one pass through you. Keep your lantern close though and they will stay away. Good luck, trainer!”

Be wary of the spirits? What was that supposed to mean? Dawn was going to question the man further, but she heard his footsteps walking away somewhere in the opposite direction. She was alone with nothing else than a dimly-lit lantern to show her the way. She held the lantern a few inches away from her face. The lantern emitted just enough light for her to see a metre ahead and behind her. As she moved forward, she could see the details of the dead on the ground below.

“Near this place lie the remains of John Tonman and Elizabeth, his wife. He died the second day of September seventeen eighty-six, aged twenty-one years. She died the ninth day of April seventeen eighty-seven, aged twenty-two years,” Dawn read aloud. There were a few more words written underneath but it was in such small font she would have to lower herself to her knees. She didn’t have time to read every description on each tile – she was here for her gym badge, not here to study history.

She continued moving forward through the darkness taking cautious steps. The gym advisor had said that the gym trainers were patrolling the halls, waiting to ambush challengers to Fantina. She kept darting her gaze back and forth, keeping her eyes peeled for signs of danger. Relying on her vision alone wasn’t going to help much though; she also had to rely on her sense of sound.

She held her lantern up high again and moved it from side to side checking out her surroundings. Nothing. No sign of spirits nor trainers wandering about. She was beginning to think she had avoided them when a cold breath washed over her back. Immediately, she spun around, but saw nothing. The coldness disappeared, replaced by warmth again.

Now she was nervous. The spirits that roamed these halls couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. Their presence could only be felt by a cold touch. She brought the lantern closer to body, unsettled. Cold laughter filled the air, sending a chill down her spine. It felt as though she was being watched, but when she turned around, she saw nothing. Were the spirits of the dead watching her?

Her heartbeat began to quicken. The laughter was louder now, sounding more demented as she drew closer to the source. Instinctively, she moved a hand to her pokébelt and summoned her gastly. Gastly would be right at home here and perhaps he could warn her of any approaching spirits or trainers. She threw her pokéball onto the floor. Moments later, her gastly appeared, hovering before her.

Gastly floated around her head, stopping every couple of seconds to observe its surroundings. When Gastly stopped moving, Dawn did as well. Gastly’s eyes narrowed into slits and he moved away from Dawn disappearing into the darkness. Dawn felt a bout of panic rise within her. “Gastly, wait!” she called, chasing after her pokémon.

She spotted Gastly moments afterwards facing another gastly. They were circling each other, waiting for the other pokémon to move. “Gastly, use Night Shade!” a male voice ordered. The opposing gastly attacked. The realization began to sink in that she had never battled in complete darkness before.

“Gastly, use Night Shade!” Dawn commanded. Gastly’s purple hue faded temporarily as it launched its attack. A pained hiss escaped from the other gastly’s mouth.

“Drifloon, use Ominous Wind!”

Her lantern’s flame flickered. Dawn’s eyes widened. She brought her free hand to protect the flame from the breeze to prevent it from dying. A wave of unexplainable sadness overcame her, as she felt the chilling breeze brush up against her body. An urge to break down in tears overwhelmed her, but she managed to fight off the temptation. Moments later, a small purple balloon-type pokémon floated emerged in her line of vision. She withdrew her hand protecting the lantern and brought out her pokédex.

_Drifloon. Because of the way it floats aimlessly, an old folktale calls it a ‘Signpost for Wandering Spirits’._

She put the pokédex away, glancing at the opponents. Two against one wasn’t a fair fight. “Murkrow! Come out!” She summoned the avian. The bird flapped over to gastly’s side. “Use Pursuit!” It was hard to tell what the physical attacks did since it was so dark but judging by the mournful moan that left the drifloon’s mouth, it must’ve dealt significant amts of damage. The balloon slowly floated to the floor.

“Gastly, Night Shade!”

“Dodge it, Gastly!”

Gastly swooped down, avoiding the attack. “Use Night Shade Gastly! Murkrow, use Pursuit!” Murkrow’s move worked well against the drifloon. She assumed dark-types were super-effective against ghost-types.

“Oh no, my gastly!”

The trainer’s gastly’s purple hue faded as it dropped to the ground. She heard a boy sobbing from somewhere to her right. The boy turned on his lantern and stepped towards her. “Keep moving north. You’ll find Fantina eventually, but be warned, other trainers wait in ambush. I will remain here with my lantern to help you get your bearings. Proceed.” He stepped back, holding his lantern before him.

Dawn continued to move forward. The effects of Ominous Wind were disappearing, but she still felt depressed for no real reason. Fortunately, her lantern’s flame was still alive. Coldness brushed up against her again, this time scraping the back of her legs. She spun around and glanced down. A human figure with charred skin and no eyes, reached for her with two hands, emitting a deep mournful sound of longing. Dawn yelped and jumped back.

“Pain… in so much pain…” the spirit chanted.

It seemed the effects of Ominous Wind allowed her to temporarily see the dead spirits. She wished she couldn’t because it was truly a frightening sight to behold. Without thinking, she kicked a leg at the spirit. Her leg went right through it. The spirit hissed and swiped at her again. Dawn leapt out of the way and swung her lantern at the spirit, forcing it to retreat from where it had come from. It backed away, shielding its eyeless face with a dismembered arm.

She started to run. She didn’t want to be in this place for any longer than she had to. More spirits rose from their graves and tried to grab her, but Dawn nimbly avoided their lunges and continued sprinting down the hallway. Two gastlys rose from the ground and were soon joined by a pokémon with two three fingered claws which did not appear to be attached to its body. She held up her pokédex again.

_Haunter. The evolved form of gastly. It likes to lurk in the dark and tap shoulders with a gaseous hand. Its touch causes endless shuddering._

She put it down. _Endless shuddering?_

“Stop right there, trainer! You don’t get to face Fantina until you defeat me! You may have been fortunate to avoid some of the trainers here, but there’s no way to get around me!” A lanky teenage male with green hair walked up towards his three ghost-type pokémon.

Triple-battle time thought Dawn. She summoned Deino to join Murkrow and Gastly. The moans and continuous chants of, ‘Pain, in so much pain’ filled the air around her as the spirits moved towards her position. She had to end this battle quickly. “Gastly, use Night Shade! Murkrow, use Pursuit! Deino, use Dragon Rage!”

“Gastlys’, use Night Shade! Haunter, use Lick!” The haunter moved first, floating towards Gastly. Its gaseous hands grabbed the gastly and held it in place, long enough for the haunter to lick it in the face. Gastly shuddered. His purple aura disappeared, and he floated to the bottom. Dawn cursed inwardly. One pokémon down. Fortunately, she had two dark-types in her possession. The trainer’s two gastlys attacked afterwards, but their attacks did little damage.

Now it was her turn for her pokémon to make their moves. Deino brought his head back, conjured a beam of draconic rage and sent it forth, smashing into the body of the gastlys, causing it to faint immediately. Murkrow dashed forward and struck at the other gastly bringing it to a fainted state. All that remained was the haunter.

“Haunter, use Sucker Punch!” Haunter dashed forward and drove one of its gaseous hands into Murkrow’s face. Murkrow was thrown off balance, but fortunately remained in the air.

“Finish him off with Pursuit, Murkrow, and follow that move up with Dragon Rage, Deino!” Murkrow regained his composure and flew towards the haunter, driving its talons into its grinning face. Deino conjured another beam of energy and sent it forth, bringing the haunter to the ground. “We did it!” Dawn cheered.

But her cheer was short-lived. The spirits were than a metre away from her now and there were quite many them. Each spirit was deformed in different ways – some spirits were headless, and others had various limbs ripped off. Some spirits even had their stomachs torn open – she could see their entrails hanging out. She scrunched up her face in disgust. When did the effects of Ominous Wind fade?

“You might have dark-type pokémon your side trainer, but that won’t be enough to defeat Fantina. Fantina has power over the spirits in this building and she can use their power as her own to aid in battle. The battle you face will not be as easy as you think it will be. You can choose to turn away now and train to battle another day or are you brave enough to face the wrath of the spirits?”

She didn’t want to have to go through this all again. “I want to battle Fantina.”

Cold laughter exited his mouth. “I would wish you good luck, but you’ll need more than that to stay alive.” He stepped aside. “You’ll find the entrance to the dungeon through here.” He pointed towards a trapdoor leading to the level below. This really felt like she had stepped into some castle of horrors.

.

Dawn lifted the wooden planks and glanced down through the trapdoor. A wooden ladder led down into complete darkness – there was no telling how deep down this dungeon was. She gripped the ladder then placed her feet onto the rungs and tested the ladder’s steadiness by giving it a slight shake. The ladder didn’t even budge. Well, she thought. At least I know it’s not going to collapse on me, she added, as she descended into the darkness.

She climbed further down with caution – the place was so dark she couldn’t even see the next rung beneath her feet. Tortured screams bounced off the walls of the dungeon, sending a chill racing down her spine. The above floor was scary enough, but this place was something else. Eventually, she reached the bottom of the ladder after climbing down for what felt like an hour.

As soon as her feet touched the floor, the lights turned on. They were not bright lights, but there was enough for her to see her new environment. It was a small room – she was reminded of the ground floor of her house back in Twinleaf Town – except this place was far less cheerful. The walls were a dark grey colour and there were a couple of manacles scattered around the floor. She even spotted what looked to be a human skeleton slouched in a corner.

Creepy.

“Can you feel it?” a voice said. “Can you feel the sadness and pain of the spirits who rest here?”

Dawn jumped. One of the walls had opened revealing a tall lady dressed in a long purple dress. She hadn’t even noticed that one of the walls had opened. “I… uh…” This was obviously the gym leader. It was weird seeing a lady in a fancy dress standing in a dark place like this.

“I am Fantina, a ghost-type specialist. You have shown tremendous courage entering my lair, but do not think this battle will be so easily won.” The woman stepped forward and raised her hands into the air holding them above her head. “The spirits are restless. Your presence has awakened them.”

Dawn took a step back. Unfortunately, her foot got caught in a manacle and she fell backwards landing on her backside. Her arms flailed to keep her upright, but they only brushed up against some cobwebs. “Ahh!” she yelped, waving her arms around, batting the cobwebs away. Heart racing, she moved away from the webs, and rubbed her arms as if they were covered in spiders.

Fantina lowered her arms and brought her hands to her temples. Tilting her head forward, she closed her eyes. The lights flickered. Dawn took in a deep mouthful of air and clamped her mouth shut. This wasn’t what she was expecting. “There’s something special about you… I can sense power… the spirits can feel it too… the blood… the darkness… the pain… it’s a part of you… that’s why the spirits are restless.” Fantina opened her eyes and squinted.

“I do not understand what you are saying.” Her fingers dropped to her pokébelt, brushing up against one of her pokéballs.

Fantina reached a hand forward, her fingers reaching for her forehead. Dawn tried to move out of the way, but stopped herself at the last minute, remembering what happened the last time she moved around the place. Fantina wouldn’t hurt her, right? This was probably just part of her act as the gym leader of the ghost-types. “I will not hurt you, but I am curious to see why the spirits are acting the way they are. Your presence darkens even this place.” Fantina pressed her fingers against Dawn’s forehead.

A cold chill spread throughout her body. It reminded her of having a spirit move through her. It was as if the blood running through her veins had suddenly turned into ice. “What are you doing to me?” she gasped.

Fantina didn’t reply to her question, instead she said something else. Her words were muffled though, and Dawn couldn’t decipher them. A few moments later, Fantina pulled her hand away, as the lights stopped flickering. Her eyes were wide. “What is your name, trainer?”

“Da-Dawn,” she stuttered.

“Dawn, I do not wish to be the bearer of bad news, but your journey must end here.” Fantina raised a hand above her head. “Come to me, Duskull!” Once again, Dawn felt a chill race down her spine. Duskull was obviously a pokémon, but Dawn couldn’t see it. Fantina hadn’t even thrown a pokéball. She wasn’t even wearing a pokébelt.

Get a grip, Dawn, this is just a battle, she scolded herself. Taking in a deep breath, Dawn reached down and selected a pokéball. She threw it forward, summoning Murkrow to the field. The dark-type avian fared well in battle earlier against the ghost-types; this battle should be no different. “Murkrow!” The avian flapped around in circles above her head, searching for his target. Still there was sign of the duskull.

“Duskull, use Will-O-Wisp!” Fantina ordered.

Dawn brought out her pokédex ready to obtain data the moment the pokémon revealed itself. A ball of purple fire emerged through one of the walls, striking Murkrow in the side, exploding upon impact. Tiny purple flames burst out and enveloped Murkrow, shrouding it in fire. Murkrow flapped his wings, trying to fan out the flames, but they remained. The smell of burnt feathers filled up the room.

A few moments later, a floating body clothed in a black robe with two visible bones appearing through the back appeared. It emerged through one of the walls. Dawn’s jaw dropped. This creature appeared to be wearing a mask resembling a skull. A single red eye floated between the two eye sockets.

_Duskull. It loves the crying of children. It startles bad kids by passing through walls and making them cry._

She was reminded of the grim reaper, only this pokémon didn’t wield a bloodstained scythe. “Murkrow, use Pursuit!” she ordered.

Murkrow flew forward and launched himself at the duskull. Duskull retreated into the safety of the wall just as Murkrow prepared to strike. Murkrow hit the wall, temporarily stunning himself. Duskull emerged again. “Duskull, use Shadow Streak!” Before Dawn could think of a counter-strategy, Duskull morphed into a black ball and flung itself at Murkrow, knocking it down from the air. It returned to its normal form moments afterwards.

“Come on Murkrow, we can do this! Use Pursuit!” Murkrow tried to launch an attack again, but once more, the duskull retreated into the safety of the walls. Murkrow collided into the wall again, this time succeeding in giving himself a concussion. He flopped to the ground, talons held up in the air, his wings outstretched. Dawn cursed inwardly as she recalled her murkrow back to his ball. How was she supposed to fight against a pokémon that could make itself invisible?

“You should surrender while you have the chance, Dawn. The bond I share with my pokémon is much deeper than the one you share with yours. A battle against the ghost-types can’t be won by your pokémon’s strength alone – the trainer must be strong as well. Pure-power will only take you so far. You lack faith. A lack of faith opens your mind to the dark spirits of the world.”

Dawn dropped to her knees, a wave of helplessness washing over her. Fantina was right. She had no chance of winning this battle. The ghost-type pokémon were far too strong. This was their natural environment. “I…” she stuttered. Her battles leading up to this seemed so insignificant in comparison. Gardenia… Roark… both battles had been won because of her pokémon’s power. But weren’t battles supposed to be won by a pokémon’s power? Trainers didn’t fight.

“Until you learn how to strengthen your mind, you will never win against me.”

“I… don’t understand…”

Fantina’s expression remained hard. “Then you will never succeed. Duskull, return!” Duskull retreated into the wall. “Do not face me until you are ready. Battling a trainer with a weak heart and mind is a waste of my time. Leave.” Dawn couldn’t find the words to speak, so she remained silent, her head hung low. She wasn’t worthy enough of fighting. Not strong to continue. She climbed back up the ladder.

.

Being back outside in the sunshine would normally lighten her mood, but she didn’t feel any better. She had lost the battle all because she didn’t have the strength to carry on. Fantina called her weak, but the gym leader was right. Even though she was quite the eccentric character, she spoke the truth. She saw her weaknesses.

Dawn made her way over to bench and sat down, watching two young male trainers face off against each other. Two bidoofs stood between the two boys. The male wearing a blue backwards cap thrust his finger forward and gave his bidoof the order to attack. Bidoof leaped forward, tackling the other one. The other male with no cap shouted. His bidoof freed itself from the other one’s grip and fought back, managing to drive the bidoof back a couple of steps.

Dawn found herself unable to tear her gaze away. Fantina had spoken of a bond between a trainer and their pokémon, but what did she mean by that? A trainer couldn’t fight a pokémon’s battle – the trainer only issued orders and formulated a strategy to overpower the other.

“What? No way! How did your bidoof get out of that?” the cap-wearing boy exclaimed.

“I believe in myself and in my pokémon! My pokémon is strong, but when we’re together, he’s much stronger than your battle hardened Bidoof!” The two bidoofs ran into each other and the cap boy’s bidoof was overpowered once again.

Dawn glanced down at her pokéballs. What was she missing? Something nagged at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. So far, her battles had been won by exploiting the weaknesses of her opponents. It had been a strategy that had worked well up until now. “What am I missing?” she murmured.

She was engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t recognize the presence of someone else besides her. It was only when the other person spoke did Dawn come back to her senses. Immediately, she turned to her left and spotted a lady dressed all in black sitting next to her. Dawn raised a brow. Was this someone she should recognize? She had never seen this person before – the woman hid her hair beneath her cap and black shades concealed her eyes.

“Dawn,” the woman spoke softly, removing her shades. She removed her cap as well, letting long blonde curls fall around her head and back. Now Dawn recognized her. The lady back in Oreburgh City who told her about the mining clothes.

“How do you know my name?” The words left her mouth before she even gave it much thought. Now she realized it probably sounded rude. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound rude.”

The woman chuckled. “No harm done.”

“Let me guess, you are part of the International Police Force?” It would make sense that she did. She was keeping an eye on Dawn. Why else would she be here now? Looker and this lady were probably taking turns keeping track on her. It would explain why this blonde-haired lady had been at Oreburgh at the right time.

The woman raised her eyebrows. “International Police?”

Perhaps not. Dawn frowned. “You don’t know Looker?”

“Should I?”

Awkward moment. “So, if you’re not part of the International Police, how did you learn my name?” Although this was her first real conversation with the lady, it felt rather easy talking to her, as if she had known her since birth.

“I’ve known you since the day you were born, Dawn. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, but I didn’t have the chance. My name is Cynthia.”

Dawn frowned. Was Cynthia telling the truth? She tilted her head to the right, trying to work out whether the woman was lying. She seemed sincere though and didn’t look like the type to lie, but it was hard to trust people when there were people like Galactic running around the region causing all sorts of trouble. “The name doesn’t sound familiar.”

“I don’t blame you for not remembering. I didn’t have the chance to spend much time with you – I was on my own pokémon journey,” she said softly.

“You’re a trainer?”

Cynthia chuckled. “You seem surprised.”

“Mum never mentioned you.”

“Johanna didn’t see much of me herself – she probably thought it was best if you didn’t know me.”

“Because you’re a trainer, right? She didn’t want me to become a trainer for so long.” Dawn looked down at her hands resting on her lap and sighed. “Can’t say I blame her though… I’m not exactly doing a good job at being a trainer.”

Cynthia frowned, and placed a hand on Dawn’s shoulder, brushing a strand of blue hair away from her face. “What makes you say that?”

Dawn lifted her chin up and met Cynthia’s gaze. “I couldn’t beat Fantina even though I have a type-advantage against her. She said I wasn’t worth battling because my bond wasn’t strong enough. I don’t understand what she meant by that. What does she mean by a bond?”

“A bond is a connection you form with your pokémon. You have a special bond with each individual and it grows deeper over time. I guess you could say it’s a form of energy that comes from within. Some trainers abuse their bonds with their pokémon and so they walk down a different path than the ones you and I choose to walk,” Cynthia explained. She paused for a moment allowing her words to sink in then continued. “When you retrieved your turtwig from Professor Rowan, you developed a bond with him.”

“Fantina said my bond wasn’t strong enough, but what does she mean? I defeated Roark and Gardenia. I fought and defeated some Galactic grunts. I battled against numerous trainers on the journey here and won. Doesn’t that strengthen my bond?”

“There’s more to battling than pure power, Dawn. That’s a mistake many trainers make – you can defeat your opponent by exploiting their weaknesses, but what do you gain from that other than the thrill of victory?”

Dawn thought hard. “A badge?”

“Think about your early battles, Dawn. How did you defeat your early opponents?”

The first trainer she battled against was her best friend, Barry. It seemed like ages ago since that day, but it had only been a few weeks. Turtwig had a type-disadvantage against Chimchar, yet her pokémon had managed to pull out a miraculous win in both situations. Fantina’s ghost-type pokémon had a type-disadvantage against her dark-type but she still won. “I believed in Turtwig.”

“Some trainers believe that a bond only grows stronger the more battles their pokémon wins, but that is not true. Love is the strongest weapon – if you love your pokémon and believe in yourself, seemingly impossible battles will become possible. It was a lesson I had to learn when I was starting out on my journey.” She smiled.

“You speak as you have experienced it.”

“Every trainer experiences it at some point in their career, but unfortunately, many trainers discover it in their late years. I was fortunate to have learned about the bond in my first few weeks – I don’t know how I would’ve managed my later battles if I hadn’t.” She gave Dawn a reassuring smile. “Trainers who lose their way will begin to fail. They become trapped in a vicious cycle of constant failure. When the light fades, there is darkness. When hope is gone, all is lost. You need to know what you are fighting for because it gives the battle more meaning.”

Dawn sunk back in the bench, reflecting on Cynthia’s words. She reflected on her previous gym battles and realized she had relied on a type-advantage to win. She went into battles thinking about the quickest way to obtain victory rather than think about the reason for battling in the first place. “I’ve been battling for the wrong reasons…” she said slowly.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Dawn. You have just started on your journey and you are doing much better than most people your age do. Many trainers fail to realize how difficult a trainer’s journey is – you should be proud of yourself that you’ve made it this far.” Cynthia removed her hand off Dawn’s shoulder.

“When did you start your journey? Were your parent’s trainers too?” Dawn blurted unable to stop herself. Cynthia was like the sister she never had. “We have a lot of catching up to do,” she added, a slow smile crossing over face. Cynthia had given her a lot to think about and helped her better understand the bond Fantina had mentioned.

“I started my journey when I was ten years old in Celestic Town. I didn’t have the option of selecting a starter pokémon because I lived so far away from Professor Rowan, and so I was given a gible by a couple of dragon tamers from next door.”

“Did you take the gym challenge?”

Cynthia shook her head, blonde locks falling around her eyes. She brushed aside her bangs and continued speaking. “Yes, I did, but obtaining badges wasn’t my primary goal. Taking the gym challenge allowed me to travel across the region and learn more about the bond between trainers and pokémon. A pokémon is only as strong as their trainer is, you see. I wanted to learn how to maximise that bond.”

“And have you?”

“There are times I feel like I have learnt all there is to know about the bond, but we have yet to fully understand pokémon.”

“Were your parents’ trainers?”

“They were, but they chose not to take on the gym challenge, preferring the quiet life. My father left before I commenced my journey and my mother came down with a sickness that claimed her life. My grandmother raised me. It was her who convinced me to take on the gym challenge in the first place. It was my grandmother who said me to keep an eye on you.”

“Keep an eye on me?” Dawn studied Cynthia’s expression carefully – did her grandmother feel she was in danger? Cynthia had known her from birth so perhaps she knew something she didn’t? She caught a brief glimpse of hesitance in the trainer’s eyes. Cynthia knew something. “What is it?”

Cynthia’s smile faded. “These are troublesome times, Dawn. You are aware of Galactic’s presence, yes?”

Dawn nodded. “What do you know of them?” Cynthia bit her bottom lip and averted her gaze. She knew something about them, but she seemed conflicted whether to inform Dawn. “Cynthia? Please, tell me. Why does your grandmother want you to keep an eye on me? Am I in danger? Is that why my mother tried to hold me back from becoming a trainer?”

“I shouldn’t be the one to tell you this, but no one else will.” Cynthia leaned closer, lowering her volume to a whisper. “We are all in danger but you more so than anyone else.” Dawn drew in a sharp breath and jerked her head back. “I don’t mean to frighten you, but you must know. Team Galactic are trying to create a new universe using energy from pokémon.”

“How does it involve me?”

Cynthia hesitated. “It involves you because…” She paused suddenly, raking a hand through her hair. She looked into Dawn’s eyes and Dawn could see conflict within them. Whatever information Cynthia knew must be something ground-breaking. “I… I can’t tell you. I’m sorry, Dawn.” She stood up.

Dawn leapt to her feet and grabbed Cynthia’s arm. “You have to tell me!”

“I’ve told you too much already.” Cynthia gently removed Dawn’s fingers from her arm and put her shades back on. She tied her hair up into a bun and stashed it under her cap and started to walk away. Dawn followed her. Cynthia stopped and glanced down at the younger girl. “I wish I could tell you, but I realize now it’s not my place. I know who your father is.”

Dawn froze. “You know?” she said, her mouth suddenly dry.

Cynthia bent down and grabbed Dawn’s hands, tightening her fingers. “Keep your pokémon close and remember what I told you today. There is always hope as long as you believe.” She released her grip and stood up again then walked away without saying another word. Dawn remained in place, watching Cynthia’s retreating form.

No one wanted to tell her the truth – what were they afraid of? Was he linked somehow to Team Galactic? Was that why her mother refused to speak of it with her? So many questions to answers she did not have. Her father’s identity was something her mother wanted to hide, and Cynthia was watching over her. Fantina seemed to sense there was something about her that was unnerving. Even Charon, the creepy guy at Valley Windworks seemed to know her as well.

That confirmed it. Her father had some connection with Team Galactic. Perhaps he was the brains behind the organization. She wondered if she had crossed paths with him already. Charon… Jupiter… Mars… Cyrus. Jupiter and Mars were out of the question since they were both female and she knew who her mother was already. Charon was old enough to be her grandfather, but she didn’t recognize any similarities in his appearance.

That left Cyrus, the guy she had run into on multiple occasions. He had given her a dusk stone. He seemed to genuinely worry about her busted lip, and he seemed to always be in the place she was visiting or near it. He too had blue hair no one else aside from herself and her mother had. The signs were all there. The realization that her father could possibly be the guy in charge of Galactic began to sink in. It wasn’t a realization that brought her great joy and not anger, but sadness.

“There is always hope as long as you believe,” Dawn said aloud, recalling Cynthia’s words. Her mother didn’t believe people were born evil but rather their company and surrounding environment impacted their decision-making. Dawn felt the same. She couldn’t and would not cast judgement upon her father until she had a chance to speak with him and understand things from his perspective.

Now it was just a matter of finding him again, but first she had to obtain her third badge. Find a reason for battling, Cynthia had said. She had found it now – this was no longer about winning badges to enter the league challenge. Her journey was about finding the truth to bring her family back together again.


End file.
